empire
UK /ˈɛm.paɪ̯ə̯/ · US /ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɹ/ noun, adjective, proper noun
Forms empires
- noun A political state, often a monarchy, that has achieved a much greater current size than its initial size by conquering surrounding territories, cities or nations. “the Russian empire”
- noun A political unit ruled by an emperor or empress. “The Empire of Vietnam was a short-lived client state of Japan governing Vietnam between March 11 and August 23, 1945.”
- noun The group of states or other territories that owe allegiance to an imperial power (foreign to them), when distinguished from the native territory of that power; imperial possessions.
- noun An expansive and powerful enterprise under the control of one person or group. “the McDonald's fast food empire”
- noun (Absolute) control, dominion, sway.
- adjective (fashion, furniture, art) Following or imitating a style popular during the First French Empire (1804–1814).
- adjective (of a woman's dress) Having the waistline just below the bust; featuring an empire waist.
- adjective (UK, dated) Produced in a dependency of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Walker County, Alabama.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Chicot County, Arkansas.
- proper noun A census-designated place in Stanislaus County, California.
- proper noun A town in Clear Creek County, Colorado, named after the Empire State.
- proper noun A census-designated place and former town in Dodge County and Bleckley County, Georgia.
- proper noun An unincorporated community and coal town in Christian County, Kentucky.
- proper noun A census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
- proper noun A township and village therein, in Leelanau County, Michigan.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English empire, from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of empery and imperium.
See empire.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Supreme power; sovereignty; sway; dominion. "The empire of the sea." Shak.
- noun The dominion of an emperor; the territory or countries under the jurisdiction and dominion of an emperor (rarely of a king), usually of greater extent than a kingdom, always comprising a variety in the nationality of, or the forms of administration in, constituent and subordinate portions; as, the Austrian empire.
Etymology [F., fr. L. imperium a command, sovereignty, dominion, empire, fr. imperare. See Emperor; cf. Imperial.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “empire”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details