Arcadia
noun /ɑːˈkeɪdɪə/ — An idealised place of rural peace, innocence, and simplicity.
Definition
An idealised pastoral paradise — originally a mountainous region of ancient Greece, imagined by poets as a land of perfect rural contentment. Now used to describe any idealised place of natural beauty and innocent happiness.
Beyond the definition
Even in Arcadia, I am here — the famous Latin phrase 'Et in Arcadia ego' is spoken by Death. Even in the most perfect pastoral dream, mortality is present. Arcadia is not a place you can permanently reach; it is a quality that arrives briefly and then retreats.
Origin & history
From Arcadia — a mountainous region of the Greek Peloponnese, inhabited by shepherds and associated with the god Pan. Idealised by Roman poets (particularly Virgil) as the perfect pastoral landscape.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The cottage in the hills was her Arcadia — simple, quiet, impossibly removed from everything.
He went looking for Arcadia and found it on a Tuesday afternoon in an unremarkable park.
Arcadia is always somewhere else, slightly behind you.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Arcadia” when the meaning fits your context: An idealised pastoral paradise — originally a mountainous region of ancient Greece, imagined by poets as a land of perfect rural contentment. Now used to describe any idealised place of natural beauty and innocent happiness.
Synonyms
Antonyms
dystopia, modernity
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Arcadia" mean?
Arcadia is noun meaning: An idealised place of rural peace, innocence, and simplicity.. An idealised pastoral paradise — originally a mountainous region of ancient Greece, imagined by poets as a land of perfect rural contentment. Now used to describe any idealised place of natural beauty and innocent happiness.
Where does the word "Arcadia" come from?
From Arcadia — a mountainous region of the Greek Peloponnese, inhabited by shepherds and associated with the god Pan. Idealised by Roman poets (particularly Virgil) as the perfect pastoral landscape.