dystopia

noun

dys·​to·​pia (ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə How to pronounce dystopia (audio)
1
: an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives
There's almost a flavor of science fiction to the scenes Chilson describes, as though he were giving us a glimpse into a 21st-century dystopia of mad egoism and hurtling hulks of metal.Adam Goodheart
Over the course of the movie, the late-60's ideal of togetherness turns into a dystopia of violence, revulsion and finally death.John Leland
2
: anti-utopia sense 2
writing a dystopia
… leaping across the century to the 1990's to attempt a dystopia about the disintegration of Australian democracy into startling, irreversible despotism.Pearl K. Bell

Examples of dystopia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Although the murderous alien is the films’ ostensible villain, Weyland-Yutani—an omnipresent monolith that’s sort of like if Tesla bought Netflix and was also the hospital—looms large over Alien’s grubby dystopia. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024 Our present world is simultaneously moving toward the opposing dystopias of hypercentralization and endless fragmentation. Francis Fukuyama, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018 The vision challenges the portrayal of urban dystopia central to so much science fiction. Leslie Katz, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for dystopia 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dystopia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

dys- + -topia (in utopia)

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dystopia was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near dystopia

dystonia

dystopia

dystopian

Cite this Entry

“Dystopia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopia. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dystopia

noun
dys·​to·​pia
(ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə
: an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly
also : a work of literature about such a place
dystopian
-ən
adjective

Medical Definition

dystopia

noun
dys·​to·​pia dis-ˈtō-pē-ə How to pronounce dystopia (audio)
: malposition of an anatomical part
dystopic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on dystopia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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