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empire
[ em-pahyuhr; om-peer ]
noun
- a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, as the former British Empire, French Empire, Russian Empire, Byzantine Empire, or Roman Empire.
- a government under an emperor or empress.
- (often initial capital letter) the historical period during which a nation is under such a government:
a history of the second French empire.
- supreme power in governing; imperial power; sovereignty:
The legacy of empire is complex, and always entwined with colonialism and nationalism.
Synonyms: , ,
- supreme control; absolute sway:
passion's empire over the mind.
- a powerful and important enterprise or holding of large scope that is controlled by a single person, family, or group of associates:
The family's shipping empire was founded 50 years ago.
- (initial capital letter) a variety of apple somewhat resembling the McIntosh.
adjective
- (initial capital letter) characteristic of or developed during the first French Empire, 1804–15.
- (usually initial capital letter) (of women's attire and coiffures) of the style that prevailed during the first French Empire, in clothing being characterized especially by décolletage and a high waistline, coming just below the bust, from which the skirt hangs straight and loose.
- (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to the style of architecture, furnishings, and decoration prevailing in France and imitated to a greater or lesser extent in various other countries, c1800–30: characterized by the use of delicate but elaborate ornamentation imitated from Greek and Roman examples or containing classical allusions, as animal forms for the legs of furniture, bas-reliefs of classical figures, motifs of wreaths, torches, caryatids, lyres, and urns and by the occasional use of military and Egyptian motifs and, under the Napoleonic Empire itself, of symbols alluding to Napoleon I, as bees or the letter N.
empire
1/ ˈɛ貹ɪə /
noun
- an aggregate of peoples and territories, often of great extent, under the rule of a single person, oligarchy, or sovereign state
- any monarchy that for reasons of history, prestige, etc, has an emperor rather than a king as head of state
- the period during which a particular empire exists
- supreme power; sovereignty
- a large industrial organization with many ramifications, esp a multinational corporation
Empire
2/ ˈɛ貹ɪə /
noun
- See British Empire
- French history
- the period of imperial rule in France from 1804 to 1815 under Napoleon Bonaparte
- Also calledSecond Empire the period from 1852 to 1870 when Napoleon III ruled as emperor
adjective
- denoting, characteristic of, or relating to the British Empire
- denoting, characteristic of, or relating to either French Empire, esp the first: in particular, denoting the neoclassical style of architecture and furniture and the high-waisted style of women's dresses characteristic of the period
Other Word Forms
- t·p adjective
- -p adjective
- ·p adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of empire1
Example Sentences
The artificiality of Vanderpump’s makeshift empire is most easily spotted in “Vanderpump Villa,” a show made of popsicle sticks and glue.
Supermarket empires came away from the pandemic years with record profits, but the disastrous Kroger merger attempt does portend some chop in the water.
It’s hard to build an international trade empire if your customers are too sick to work or die often.
Rudy is depicted as an agent of the empire, but there’s a fault line in his being.
Larian, 71, who has built up a multibillion-dollar toy empire since emigrating from Iran as a teenager, knows all about toy manufacturing overseas — and in the United States.
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