A utopia is an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. The word "utopia" was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, which describes a fictional island society. The word literally translates as "no place" and meant any non-existent society when described in considerable detail. However, in standard usage, the words meaning has shifted and now usually describes a non-existent society that is intended to be viewed as considerably better than contemporary society.

Some key points about utopias include:

• They are often associated with the idea of social justice.
• They may be speculative, practical, or satirical.
• They are far older than the word "utopia" itself, with examples dating back to Platos Republic.
• They may be used to denote visionary reform that tends to be impossibly idealistic.

Examples of utopias include Mores Utopia, which describes a complex, self-contained community set on an island where people share a common culture and way of life. Other examples include Francis Bacons New Atlantis, which was practical in its scientific program but speculative concerning philosophy.