utopianism
noun
uto·pi·an·ism
yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ə-ˌni-zəm 
1
: a utopian idea or theory
2
often capitalized
: the body of ideas, views, or aims of a utopian
Examples of utopianism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the annals of irresponsible utopianism, few names stand out like that of Bronson Alcott.
—
Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023
By the nineteen-thirties, converting facts into data to be read by machines married the centuries-long quest for universal knowledge to twentieth-century technological utopianism.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
Moscow’s alarm over the hegemonic role America had assigned itself was intensified by what could fairly be characterized as the bellicose utopianism demonstrated by Washington’s series of regime-change wars.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023
The book is now seen as one of the foundational texts of realism, although Carr described it more as a correction of the increasingly influential and, in his view, naive utopianism that devised schemes for world government without regard for the abiding importance of national interest.
—Quincy Wright, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
Did anyone believe this utopianism?
—James McElroy, Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2020
The work evokes a particular subgenre of West Coast utopianism, one that recalls the back-to-the-land movement and Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth Catalog, which envisioned the tools of the American industrial complex repurposed to bring about a more equitable and ecologically sustainable world.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, Wired, 24 Aug. 2021
The age of data is associated with late capitalism, authoritarianism, techno-utopianism, and a discipline known as data science, which has lately been the top of the top hat, the spit shine on the buckled shoe, the whir of the whizziest Tesla.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
Neither spiritual nor social utopianism fared well in the 20th century.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023
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Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023
By the nineteen-thirties, converting facts into data to be read by machines married the centuries-long quest for universal knowledge to twentieth-century technological utopianism.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
Moscow’s alarm over the hegemonic role America had assigned itself was intensified by what could fairly be characterized as the bellicose utopianism demonstrated by Washington’s series of regime-change wars.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 3 May 2023
The book is now seen as one of the foundational texts of realism, although Carr described it more as a correction of the increasingly influential and, in his view, naive utopianism that devised schemes for world government without regard for the abiding importance of national interest.
—Quincy Wright, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
Did anyone believe this utopianism?
—James McElroy, Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2020
The work evokes a particular subgenre of West Coast utopianism, one that recalls the back-to-the-land movement and Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth Catalog, which envisioned the tools of the American industrial complex repurposed to bring about a more equitable and ecologically sustainable world.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, Wired, 24 Aug. 2021
The age of data is associated with late capitalism, authoritarianism, techno-utopianism, and a discipline known as data science, which has lately been the top of the top hat, the spit shine on the buckled shoe, the whir of the whizziest Tesla.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
Neither spiritual nor social utopianism fared well in the 20th century.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'utopianism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near utopianism
Cite this Entry
“Utopianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utopianism. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on utopianism
Britannica English: Translation of utopianism for Arabic Speakers
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