Why did Thomas More write Utopia in Latin?

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Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger, showing More in dark robes and a black hat, wearing a gold chain of office, seated against a green and yellow draped background. — Thomas More *Sir Thomas More*, oil on panel by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527; in the Frick Collection, New York City.

Thomas More wrote Utopia (1516) in Latin because it was the international language of the era, serving as the standard medium for scholars, philosophers, theologians, and diplomats to communicate across borders.12

By utilizing Latin, More ensured that his work could reach a broad, educated European audience of humanists and public officials, rather than being restricted to a single national vernacular. During the Renaissance, Latin remained the preferred language for intellectual discourse, and writing in this medium allowed More to engage with the international community of thinkers who were central to the humanist movement.32