utopian

1 of 2

adjective

uto·​pi·​an yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ən 

variants often Utopian

1

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a utopia

especially : having impossibly ideal conditions especially of social organization

2

: proposing or advocating impractically ideal social and political schemes

utopian idealists

3

: impossibly ideal : visionary

… recognised the utopian nature of his hopes …

—C. S. Kilby

4

: believing in, advocating, or having the characteristics of utopian socialism

utopian doctrines

utopian novels

utopian

2 of 2

noun

1

: one who believes in the perfectibility of human society

2

: one who proposes or advocates utopian schemes

Did you know?

In 1516 Thomas More published Utopia, a description of a fictional island in the Atlantic with an ideal society, in order to draw a sharp contrast with the disorderly political situation of his own time. He created the name from topos ("place") and ou, Greek for "no", since he was well aware that nowhere so perfect was likely to exist on earth. People have long dreamed of creating utopian communities; some of them have joined communes, societies where other idealists like themselves have chosen to live in a cooperative way according to certain principles. Not just communes but plans of all kinds have been labeled utopian by critics. But we can dream, can't we?

Synonyms of utopian

Adjective

• romantic
• impractical
• idealistic
• ideological
• idealist

Noun

• dreamer
• romantic

Examples of utopian in a Sentence

Adjective

a plan to revitalize the city's decaying downtown that proved to be overly ambitious and utopian

Noun

in the 19th century utopians founded a number of short-lived socialist communities

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Flood’s playwright is haunted by the fact that her mother, like many in the movement, did eventually meet a man, settle down, and compromise on utopian ambitions to raise her kids. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025

Necessary for doctrinal shifts—but needs to be grounded to avoid utopian overreach. —Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025

Noun

Some of the utopians of the dot com bubble believed that the internet was going to massively enhance our productive ability to study and make art, bringing about a digital Renaissance. —Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025

But the American leaders who midwifed the UN as World War II was still raging were somber realists, not utopians. —Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing utopian

• utopian socialism

Rhymes for utopian

• bupropion
• dystopian
• fallopian
• ethiopian