Utopian Meaning
/juːˈtəʊ.pi.ən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf or pertaining to or resembling a utopia.
adjIdeal but often impractical; visionary.
Sentence Examples
He is, in a word, a utopian.
To live in a perfect world is just a utopian dream.
The philosopher described a utopian society where peace and equality prevailed.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ plan to end all wars within a week was not practical.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Some people criticize the plan for being too ____, suggesting that it is not possible to achieve such a goal today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Ancient Greek οὐ (ou) Ancient Greek τόπος (tópos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) New Latin Ūtopiader. English utopia Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English utopian From utopia + -an.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The world we lived in was wide, and most of it was open to us with little trouble. Roads, railways, and shipping lines laced it, ready to carry one thousands of miles safely and in comfort. If we wanted to travel more swiftly still, and could afford it, we traveled by airplane. There was no need for anyone to take weapons or even precautions in those days. You could go just as you were to wherever you wished, with nothing to hinder you - other than a lot of forms and regulations. A world so tamed sounds utopian now."
— 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 27:
"The Great Society was never, in my mind, just a visionary utopian ideal. I considered it a realistic outline of what this nation could achieve in a limited period of time if we marshaled our will and committed our resources."
— 1971, Lyndon Johnson, The Vantage Point, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 104:
"One of our brighter young Utopians, Aldous Huxley, predicts that the movies of the future will include “feelies” and “smellies.”"
— 1941, Arthur Kissam Train, The Story of Everyday Things, Harper & Brothers, page 390:
"Digital utopians have heralded the dawn of an era in which Web 2.0 […] ushers in the democratization of the world: more information, more perspectives, more opinions, more everything, and most of it without filters or fees."
— 2007 June 29, Michiko Kakutani, “The Cult of the Amateur”, in New York Times:
"[I]f it sounds Utopian to say that Christianity can save the world—remember, it is Utopia or hell!"
— 1932 July 18, William H[enry] Dunphy, quotee, “Anti-Christian War Is Traced to Russia […
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ plan to end all wars within a week was not practical.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Some people criticize the plan for being too ____, suggesting that it is not possible to achieve such a goal today.