utopia

noun

uto·​pia yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ə 

1

often capitalized : a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions

2

: an impractical scheme for social improvement

3

: an imaginary and indefinitely remote place

Did you know?

There’s quite literally no place like utopia. In 1516, English humanist Sir Thomas More published a book titled Utopia, which compared social and economic conditions in Europe with those of an ideal society on an imaginary island located off the coast of the Americas. More wanted to imply that the perfect conditions on his fictional island could never really exist, so he called it “Utopia,” a name he created by combining the Greek words ou (“not, no”) and topos (“place”). The earliest generic use of utopia was for an imaginary and indefinitely remote place. The current use of utopia, referring to an ideal place or society, was inspired by More’s description of Utopia’s perfection.

Synonyms

• Camelot
• Cockaigne
• Eden
• Elysium
• empyrean
• fantasyland
• heaven
• lotusland
• never-never land
• New Jerusalem
• nirvana
• paradise
• promised land
• Shangri-la
• Zion
• Sion

Examples of utopia in a Sentence

The town's founders wanted to create a Christian utopia.

It's a nice place to live, but it's no Utopia.

Recent Examples on the Web

Think of it as a utopia for the stylishly obsessed. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

In late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century science fiction, or proto-science fiction as some scholars call it, the insect featured in narratives of utopia, society, and disgust. —Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024

And so the book has come to symbolize a lost utopia, one that was full of other possibilities, other lives. —Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024

With the stylish renovation of a beloved roadside lodge, modern travelers are newly discovering historic Harbor Springs, a shoreline utopia on Lake Michigan that generations of Midwesterners have tried to keep a secret. —Staff Author Published, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Utopia, imaginary and ideal country in Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More, from Greek ou not, no + topos place

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing utopia

• anti-utopia

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Kids Definition

utopia

noun

uto·​pia yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ə 

1

often capitalized : a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions

2

: an impractical scheme for social improvement

utopian

-pē-ən

adjective or noun

Etymology

from Utopia, name of an imaginary ideal country in a book Utopia written by Sir Thomas More 1478–1535 English statesman and author; from Greek ou "not, no" and Greek topos "place"

Word Origin

In 1516 the English statesman Sir Thomas More published a book that compared the condition of his England to that of a perfect and imaginary country, Utopia. Everything that was wrong in England was perfect in Utopia. More was trying to show how people could live together in peace and happiness if they only did what he thought was right. But the name he gave his imaginary country showed that he did not really believe perfection could ever be reached. Utopia means, literally, "no place," since it was formed from the Greek ou, meaning "no, not," and topos, "place." Since More's time, utopia has come to mean "a place of ideal perfection." Over the years many books similar to Utopia have been written, and many plans for perfect societies proposed, most of them impractical. Utopia has also come to mean any such scheme or plan.