brave new world, a

brave new world

An era characterized by a feeling of hope, often due to great societal change. The phrase originated in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Some people think that we live in a brave new world, thanks to so many technological advancements, but I'm skeptical.See also: brave, new, world

brave new world

a new and hopeful period in history resulting from major changes in society. This phrase comes ultimately from Shakespeare's The Tempest, but is more often used with allusion to Aldous Huxley's ironical use of the phrase as the title of his 1932 novel Brave New World.See also: brave, new, world

a ˌbrave new ˈworld

(often ironic) a situation or society that changes in a way that is meant to improve people’s lives but is often a source of extra problems: She promises us a brave new world of high salaries and good working conditions after the reforms.This phrase comes from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. It was later used by Aldous Huxley as the title of his most famous book, which described a vision of the future.See also: brave, new, world

brave new world, a

A bleak and dismal future. The term comes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which Miranda says despairingly, “O brave new world, that has such people in’t” (5.1). British novelist Aldous Huxley borrowed it for the title of his 1932 novel, in which human beings are grown in the laboratory and designed to perform particular jobs in society.See also: brave, new