Definition of UTOPIAS

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In 1516, English humanist Sir Thomas More published a book titled Utopia. It compared social and economic conditions in Europe with those of an ideal society on an imaginary island located off the coast of the Americas. More wanted to imply that the perfect conditions on his fictional island could never really exist, so he called it Utopia, a name he created by combining the Greek words ou (meaning "no, not") and topos (meaning "place," a root used in our word topography). The earliest generic use of utopia was for an imaginary and indefinitely remote place. The current use of utopia, referring to an ideal place or society, was inspired by More's description of Utopia's perfection.

Examples of utopia in a Sentence

The town's founders wanted to create a Christian utopia. It's a nice place to live, but it's no Utopia.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hot off the United Nations warning us about the impending effects of global warming, Cities: Skylines is getting an Industries expansion—like the polar opposite of last year’s Green Cities utopia. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Walking Dead resurrected, Baldur's Gate 3 rumors, Into the Breach done quick," 12 Oct. 2018 The fall from grace is embodied in capitalism; man is redeemed as the proletariat rises up against its exploiters and creates a communist utopia. — The Economist, "Rulers of the world: read Karl Marx!," 3 May 2018 The upshot: that grand vision of Vermont becoming a utopia that pays all health-care costs for all residents is imperiled, and the blunders behind Vermont's rollout could have far-reaching implications. — Lynnley Browning, Newsweek, "Doubling Down on Obamacare," 6 Feb. 2014 Located in the Pacific Ocean some 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador, the archipelago of 20 volcanic islands (and dozens more islets) remains an unspoiled utopia despite hosting more than 200,000 annual visitors. — Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, "Visit the Galapagos Like a Royal," 23 June 2018 Happy endings promised a political utopia for blissful, forward-thinking couples. — Benita Eisler, WSJ, "‘George Sand’ Review: Monstre Sacré," 8 June 2018 The ad also avoids mention of Ducey’s wish to turn Arizona into a utopia for self-driving cars. — Richard Ruelas, azcentral, "Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey officially starts his re-election bid with message about security," 18 June 2018 Stepping inside Diptyque’s Soho pop-up store is like walking into a fragrance utopia — all of the brand’s scents are there waiting to be sprayed, alongside interactive installations begging to be explored. — Shannon Barbour, The Cut, "Diptyque’s Latest Additions Will Transport You to a Mediterranean Utopia," 9 May 2018 The story springs from the ending of Excellent Adventure, in which futuristic mentor Rufus (George Carlin) predicted the duo would write music that would turn the world into a utopia. — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, "Whoa! 'Bill & Ted 3' is totally happening for Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, after 27 years," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'utopia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.