How to Pronounce Thomas More

Meaning and Context

Sir Thomas More, born in London in 1478 and executed at Tower Hill in 1535, stands as a towering figure of the English Renaissance, a period marked by profound intellectual and religious upheaval. A devout Catholic, brilliant lawyer, and close friend of Desiderius Erasmus, More's legacy is multifaceted: he is celebrated as a humanist scholar for his seminal 1516 work, Utopia, which coined the term and genre for an idealized, perfectly ordered society. His steadfast moral conviction, however, led to his most famous historical role as a martyr for religious conscience. Appointed Lord Chancellor in 1529, More's refusal to accept King Henry VIII's supremacy over the Church of England, stemming from the King's desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, resulted in his imprisonment for treason and eventual beheading. Canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1935, Thomas More remains an enduring symbol of integrity, his life and death a pivotal episode in the English Reformation and a subject of continued study in law, political theory, and Christian ethics.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The standard and correct spelling is Thomas More. A common historical variant is the Latinized Thomas Morus, frequently encountered in older scholarly texts and references from the Renaissance period. Frequent misspellings and typos often involve the omission of the 'e' in "More," resulting in "Thomas Mor," or the addition of an unnecessary double 'r' as in "Thomas Morre." Another occasional error is the confusion with the common word "more," leading to improper capitalization in mid-sentence. His title is often correctly included as Sir Thomas More, having been knighted in 1521. It is also worth noting that his influential book is consistently titled Utopia, and should not be rendered with a lowercase 'u' or placed in quotation marks when italicized.

Example Sentences

Scholars often debate whether the society depicted in Thomas More's Utopia was meant as a serious blueprint for reform or a satirical critique of European politics.

Despite his close friendship with Henry VIII, Thomas More's conscience would not allow him to sign the Oath of Supremacy, a decision that ultimately led to his martyrdom.

The 1966 film A Man for All Seasons offers a powerful dramatic portrayal of Thomas More's final years and his legal battle against the crown.

In legal circles, Thomas More is frequently cited as an exemplar of ethical lawyering and the primacy of natural law over state decree.

Visitors to the Chelsea neighborhood in London can see the site of More's beloved riverside estate, where he entertained Erasmus and wrote much of his influential work.

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