dys·to·pi·a

[dis-toh-pee-uh]
noun
a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
Compare utopia.


Origin:
1865–70; dys- + (u)topia

dys·to·pi·an, adjective
dys·to·pi·an·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
dystopia (dɪsˈtəʊpɪə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be
 
[C19 (coined by John Stuart Mill): from dys- + Utopia]
 
dys'topian
 
adj, —n

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00:10
Dystopia is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

dystopia
"imaginary bad place," 1868, in writings of J.S. Mill, from Gk. dys- "bad, abnormal, difficult" (see dys-) + utopia. Related: Dystopian.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

dystopia dys·to·pi·a (dĭs-tō'pē-ə)
n.
An abnormal position, as of an organ or a body part. Also called malposition.


dys·top'ic (-tŏp'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
Perhaps like one of sci-fi cinema's most debilitating dystopias.
In this dystopia, doctors haven't been trained in genomics, and payers won't
  fund predictive and preventive tests and protocols.
Ominous words and violent imagery fuel this dystopia, which is equal parts
  science fiction and life-as-we-know-it.
Vote on dystopias submitted by other readers.
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