Sir Thomas More

1 7.2

An English lawyer and writer who opposed Henry VIII's divorce and was executed for his beliefs

proper noun

: Sir Thomas More

Sir Thomas More was executed in 1535 for opposing Henry VIII's divorce and standing firm in his beliefs.

Examples

Sir Thomas More was executed for refusing to accept Henry VIII's divorce.
The famous author Sir Thomas More wrote 'Utopia'.
Sir Thomas More wrote 'Utopia', a book that introduced the concept of an ideal society.
Many scholars regard Sir Thomas More as a martyr for his steadfast opposition to Henry VIII's religious reforms.
The legacy of Sir Thomas More continues to influence discussions on law, ethics, and political philosophy.
Many view Sir Thomas More as a symbol of integrity due to his refusal to accept the changes imposed by Henry VIII.
Sir Thomas More's work, 'Utopia', has inspired countless thinkers and remains significant in political philosophy.

Synonyms

Thomas More

vsSir Thomas More

4 7.9

An English lawyer and writer who opposed Henry VIII and wrote Utopia

is the same person but written with a formal title before the name

Surface Forms

Sir Thomas More main

Morphology

Sir + Thomas + More

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the constituent words ('sir' as a title and the names 'Thomas' and 'More') does not allow a B1 learner to infer his biographical details or role. The meaning is idiosyncratic and must be learned as a single lexical item rather than derived from its parts.

Etymology

Sir Thomas More belongs to an English lawyer and writer from the 1500s. He wrote the book 'Utopia' about an 'ideal society' and was executed for refusing the king's demand, so people remember him for his ideas and for standing by his beliefs.