English
utopia
Utopia comes from New Latin Ūtopia, from Ancient Greek τόπος ‘place, location’, and ultimately from οὐ ‘not’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEοὐou‘not’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτόποςtópos‘place, location’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900Ūtopia
- Englishearliest quotation 1945utopia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEοὐou‘not’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEτόποςtópos‘place, location’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900Ūtopia
- Englishearliest quotation 1945utopia
Earliest quotation: 1945, Chimera: A Literary Quarterly: “Errors in time must be kept in mind when…”
The story
Coined from Ancient Greek οὐ (ou, “not”) + τόπος (tópos, “place, region”) + -ία (-ía).
Linked words
through Ancient Greek τόπος ‘place, location’
Today it means
noun A world in which everything and everyone works in perfect harmony.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek οὐ / utopia