ENGLISH
REFERENCE

arcadia

n. C / U
C2 Proficiency US //ɑɹˈkeɪdiə// ar·ca·dia

n. a place or a way of life that is simple, peaceful, and perfect. It is often used to describe a beautiful countryside where people live happily away from the city.

n. an idealised vision of pastoral life characterized by simplicity, harmony with nature, and rustic innocence. Often used to describe a utopian rural setting or a lost golden age.


SIMPLE

The small village felt like a peaceful arcadia far from the city.

CONTEXTUAL

Many poets have written about a lost arcadia where humans and nature lived in perfect balance.

COMPLEX

The developer marketed the new gated community as a modern arcadia, promising residents a return to quiet greenery without sacrificing the technological comforts of the twenty-first century.

Origin

From Latin Arcadia, from Ancient Greek Ἀρκαδία (Arkadía). Not related to arcade.

Usage

When referring to the specific region in Greece, it is capitalized; when used as a general term for a rural paradise, it is often lowercase.

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