Elysium

noun

Ely·​si·​um i-ˈli-zhē-əm 

-zē-

plural Elysiums or Elysia i-ˈli-zhē-ə 

-zē-

1

: the abode of the blessed after death in classical mythology

2

: paradise sense 2

Did you know?

This word came into Latin from the Greek Elysion. In classical mythology, Elysium, or the Elysian fields, was the home of the blessed after death, the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the pure. So it's easy to see how the word came to mean any place or state of bliss or delight. When we try to picture heaven, many of us probably see a lovely park; the great boulevard of Paris was named for the beautiful park that originally bordered it: the Champs-Elysées, or Elysian Fields.

Synonyms

• above
• bliss
• elysian fields
• empyrean
• heaven
• kingdom come
• New Jerusalem
• paradise
• sky
• Zion
• Sion

Examples of Elysium in a Sentence

the mourners were comforted by their belief that the saintly woman was now experiencing the joys of Elysium

the universal pipe dream that there exists somewhere an earthly Elysium where people live trouble-free lives

Recent Examples on the Web

The lander carried the first seismometer to Mars, and the sensitive instrument was able to detect seismic waves that occurred thousands of miles away from InSight’s location in Elysium Planitia, a smooth plain just north of the planet’s equator. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 June 2024

Among the 28 payloads scheduled for the launch, there was an inclusion from Celestis and Elysium Space. —Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 5 Jan. 2024

Players must make their way through four unique realms — Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx — with each arena taking on a different layout and enemy formation for players to learn and adapt to, but never memorize. —Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024

And that’s where the idea for Elysium came from, the park name. —Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Ēlysion

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Elysium

noun

Ely·​si·​um i-ˈlizh-ē-əm 

-ˈliz-

: a place or state of ideal happiness

Elysian

-ˈlizh-ən

adjective

Etymology

derived from Greek Ēlysion, name in mythology of a place for the dead