dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
(ˌ)dis-ˈtō-pē-ə 
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
Adam GoodheartOver the course of the movie, the late-60's ideal of togetherness turns into a dystopia of violence, revulsion and finally death.—John Leland
John Leland2
: 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
Pearl K. BellExamples of dystopia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a treeless dystopia run by robots, glimmers of humanity and hope.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2024
Popular on Variety Each filmmaker will create their own characters and plotlines and direct episodes in their distinctive cinematic styles, while also spanning diverse genres, from futuristic dystopias and intimate dramas to road movies, action-thrillers and epic narratives.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 July 2024
Then, the conversation could focus on what basic income can actually be: an effective anti-poverty tool that would neither stave off dystopia nor usher in a leisurely paradise, but instead, just a world with less poverty.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 22 July 2024
Guests were greeted with invitations bearing an antiwar sign and cakes resembling guns and cocaine bags, for an air of dystopia.
—Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for dystopia 
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2024
Popular on Variety Each filmmaker will create their own characters and plotlines and direct episodes in their distinctive cinematic styles, while also spanning diverse genres, from futuristic dystopias and intimate dramas to road movies, action-thrillers and epic narratives.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 July 2024
Then, the conversation could focus on what basic income can actually be: an effective anti-poverty tool that would neither stave off dystopia nor usher in a leisurely paradise, but instead, just a world with less poverty.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 22 July 2024
Guests were greeted with invitations bearing an antiwar sign and cakes resembling guns and cocaine bags, for an air of dystopia.
—Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 25 June 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Dystopia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopia. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dystopia
noun
dys·to·pia
dis-ˈtō-pē-ə
: malposition of an anatomical part
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