Ar·ca·di·an
är-ˈkā-dē-ən 
1
often not capitalized
: a person who lives a simple quiet life
2
: a native or inhabitant of Arcadia
3
: the dialect of ancient Greek used in Arcadia
ar·ca·di·an
är-ˈkā-dē-ən
often capitalized
1
a
: of or relating to Arcadia or the Arcadians
b
: of or relating to Arcadian
2
: idyllically pastoral
especially
: idyllically innocent, simple, or untroubled
Synonyms
Examples of Arcadian in a Sentence
Adjective
the painter is well-known for depictions of mute, slightly mysterious figures in arcadian settings
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2023
On it, the September Arcadian Man, a pitcher of lemonade, and a to-do list: 1.
—Hazlitt, 14 June 2023
Officers were called to the Arcadian Apartments, at 4611 E. Loop 1604, just before 2 a.m. for a shooting in progress.
—Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, 7 June 2023
New Berlin police continued the pursuit along Arcadian Avenue, Springdale Road, and Cleveland Avenue, with authorities setting up stop sticks — devices used to flatten the tires on passing vehicles — at various points.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 25 May 2023
Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Until recently, the Falkland Islands were a quasi-feudal colony, in which an arcadian Britain of the past was preserved in microcosm—a population of eighteen hundred, territory a little larger than Jamaica.
—Larissa MacFarquhar, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
With hilltop farms in trouble, Potter’s wondrous arcadian refuge is increasingly a battleground for tourism, but what form of tourism is the question.
—Kieran Dodds, Smithsonian, 20 Apr. 2018
The formal precision in these pictures can be eye-popping, and the compositional symmetry and the positioning of the figures in arcadian settings evoke Mannerist, and, at other times, Pre-Raphaelite qualities.
—Philip Gefter, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2017
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Noun
Firefighters responded to the single-alarm fire at The Arcadian Hotel at 1200 Beacon St. around 2 a.m., officials wrote on the Brookline Fire Department’s Facebook page.
—Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2023
On it, the September Arcadian Man, a pitcher of lemonade, and a to-do list: 1.
—Hazlitt, 14 June 2023
Officers were called to the Arcadian Apartments, at 4611 E. Loop 1604, just before 2 a.m. for a shooting in progress.
—Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, 7 June 2023
New Berlin police continued the pursuit along Arcadian Avenue, Springdale Road, and Cleveland Avenue, with authorities setting up stop sticks — devices used to flatten the tires on passing vehicles — at various points.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 25 May 2023
Adjective
Over the next few decades, back to the soil, ski bum, and jam band dreams flourished in these arcadian corners.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Until recently, the Falkland Islands were a quasi-feudal colony, in which an arcadian Britain of the past was preserved in microcosm—a population of eighteen hundred, territory a little larger than Jamaica.
—Larissa MacFarquhar, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020
With hilltop farms in trouble, Potter’s wondrous arcadian refuge is increasingly a battleground for tourism, but what form of tourism is the question.
—Kieran Dodds, Smithsonian, 20 Apr. 2018
The formal precision in these pictures can be eye-popping, and the compositional symmetry and the positioning of the figures in arcadian settings evoke Mannerist, and, at other times, Pre-Raphaelite qualities.
—Philip Gefter, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Arcadian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near Arcadian
Cite this Entry
“Arcadian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Arcadian. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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