Perdita (/ˈpɜːrdɪtə/ PER-di-tə) is one of the heroines of William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale.

Perdita was very small when she was thrown into prison, where her father had sent her mother because he wrongly believes she has been unfaithful to him.

[3] In a dream, Hermione appears to Antigonus and tells him to name her child Perdita, which means "the lost one" in Latin and, in Italian, "loss".

It contains jewels and a note and some money, for Paulina knew that if someone found Perdita, they would need an explanation.

Sixteen years later, Perdita has grown into a beautiful young woman, unaware of her royal heritage.