dystopian society
1
7.4
- noun
- /dɪsˈtoʊpiən səˈsaɪəti/
- Literature
:
sociedad distópica
- Thus, behind closed doors, Somalia is viewed and dealt with as a dystopian society that requires new doctrine and policy prescriptions developed by external powers.
Examples
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The fifth and final flash-forward season of Fringe is set in 2036, when the "Observers" have become ruthless rulers of a dystopian society.
Blog text (31) -
We are seeing George Orwell's dystopian society coming to life.
Blog text (12) -
If white kids are over-represented in the cast, it probably means the future dystopian society is less racist than the 2012 society.
Blog text (10) -
BioShock, for example, is a very Ayn Rand dystopian society.
Blog text (17) -
I just, I can't think of like a more dystopian society end of the world scenario then like all of us funny people just tiptoeing around trigger words like dodo.
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In this dystopian society, individuals are constantly monitored and controlled by the government.
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The novel depicts a dystopian society where people's every action is dictated by a powerful regime.
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In a dystopian society, personal freedoms are often sacrificed for the sake of security and order.
Synonyms
7
8.2
A society where life is very bad because people suffer and have little freedom
6
8.3
A government that controls almost all parts of people's lives by force
5
8.2
A government that controls almost every part of people's lives and punishes people who disagree
Antonyms
How Dystopian
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from combining 'dystopian' (depicting a society of suffering and oppression) with 'society' (a community), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an undesirable, oppressive community. This is a standard adjective + noun composition found cross-linguistically and is not idiomatic or metaphorical, making it transparent to learners.
Etymology
Dystopian society comes from the image of a 'bad place': dystopian describes a world that is wrong and frightening, and society means a 'group of people'. Imagine a city where people are watched, controlled, and have no freedom, and you can see why the phrase means a frightening community with little personal freedom.