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cornucopian

cornucopian

1 9.9
A person who believes that technology and people's skill will make resources plentiful
  • noun
  • /ˌkɔrnəˈkoʊpiən/
  • Formal
: cornucopiano
  • Many cornucopians argue that advancements in renewable energy will create a sustainable future for everyone.

Examples

  • Cornucopians are often proponents of biotechnological studies that promote genetically modified food.

    Blog text (29)
  • But cornucopians have an expectation of us being able to hit the brakes and stop our descent.

    Blog text (6)
  • The Ultimate Cornucopian, his kid will have everything!

    Blog text (34)
  • Of course, maybe the cornucopians are right and all I need is a stiff drink.

    Blog text (32)
  • Members of a broad research tradition of technological optimists, generally referred to as cornucopians, have criticized Homer-Dixon and other neo-Malthusian theorists for being too pessimistic about the relationship between population and natural resources.

    Academic text (2002)
  • As a cornucopian, she believes that technology will solve the world's resource challenges.

  • The conference was attended by several cornucopians who discussed innovative solutions to food production.

Antonyms

28 4.4

A person who sees facts clearly and deals with them practically

24 3.9

A person who expects bad things to happen

How Optimistic

cornucopian
  • Formal
1 9.9
optimist
60 3.2
realist
28 4.4
skeptic
  • US
149 4.1
doomer
  • Slang
2 9.3

Surface Forms

cornucopian singular
cornucopians plural

Morphology

cornucopian = cornucopia (transparent) = cornucopia + an

Derived from 'cornucopia' with the suffix '-an' forming a noun for a person associated with the idea of abundance; the derivation is regular and meaning is recoverable from the base.

Etymology

Cornucopian comes from the picture of the cornucopia, a 'horn of plenty' made from Latin parts cornu 'horn' and copia 'plenty'. So, a cornucopian is a person who believes new ideas and technology will keep resources large and available.