English Lexicon

Dystopia

/dɪsˈtoʊ.pi.ə/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    An imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.

    "The novel depicts a grim dystopian future where freedom is entirely suppressed."

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Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Coined in the late 18th century as an antonym to utopia, blending the Greek prefix dys- (meaning 'bad', 'difficult') with topos ('place'), mediated by John Stuart Mill in 1868. The modern usage was cemented in the 20th century to describe fictional or anticipated societies characterized by human misery, oppression, and totalitarian control.

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