empire

1 of 2

noun

em·​pire ˈem-ˌpī(-ə)r How to pronounce empire (audio)
1
a(1)
: a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority
especially : one having an emperor as chief of state
(2)
: the territory of such a political unit
b
: something resembling a political empire
especially : an extensive territory or enterprise under single domination or control
2
: imperial sovereignty, rule, or dominion
3
capitalized [Empire State, nickname for New York] : a juicy apple with dark red skin that is a cross between a McIntosh apple and a Red Delicious apple

Empire

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a style (as of clothing or furniture) popular in early 19th century France

Examples of empire in a Sentence

Noun She built a tiny business into a worldwide empire. He controlled a cattle empire in the heart of Texas.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Her empire is built on talent and beauty and backbone. Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2025 But on this southern front of the Trump empire, Palm Beach County, Donald Trump is flirting with ignoble defeat. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 The party slowly unified France's disparate far-right movements, which included monarchists, Nazi collaborators seeking rehabilitation and nationalists angered by Charles de Gaulle's dismantling of France's overseas empire. Ania Nussbaum and Angelina Rascouet Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 8 Jan. 2025 As their empire began to decline in the 16th century, the Venetians began turning to magic and looking for fast ways to get rich. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for empire 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "supreme power, position of an emperor, territory under an emperor's rule," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin imperium "authority over family members and slaves exercised by the head of a household, supreme administrative authority, dominion, power exercised by a Roman emperor," from imperāre "to give orders, exercise authority, hold political power" + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state — more at emperor

Adjective

French, from (le premier) Empire the first Empire of France

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of empire was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near empire

Cite this Entry

“Empire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empire. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

empire

noun
em·​pire ˈem-ˌpī(ə)r How to pronounce empire (audio)
1
a
: a major political unit with a large territory or a number of territories or peoples under one ruler with total authority
especially : one having an emperor as chief of state
b
: the territory of such a unit
c
: something resembling an empire
especially : a large group of businesses under one control
2
: the state of being under or of having complete rule or control

More from Merriam-Webster on empire

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