conquer

verb

con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering ˈkäŋ-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to gain or acquire by force of arms : subjugate
conquer territory
2
: to overcome by force of arms : vanquish
conquered the enemy
3
: to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition
conquered the mountain
4
: to overcome by mental or moral power : surmount
conquered her fear

intransitive verb

: to be victorious
Choose the Right Synonym for conquer

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of conquer in a Sentence

And my girlfriends are really strong, feminine women—yet we can all be girls together. Some days we just have to go out and shop, get a massage …  . The next day we want to conquer the world and start our own company. Sandra Bullock, quoted in Playboy, September 1995
After her initial passionate prayer of thanks for the strength to conquer her vast disappointment, she stayed on her knees, the hassock comfortable … James Clavell, Gai-Jin, (1993) 1994
It used to be that men "conquered" mountains in a cacophony of gratuitous chest-thumping. Tim Cahill, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 1990
But however vile the movie, the sentiments it embodies are (as they say) American as apple pie: the west was something to be conquered and claimed. Margaret Atwood, Survival, 1972
The city was conquered by the ancient Romans. They conquered all their enemies. He finally conquered his drug habit. Scientists believe the disease can be conquered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In an improbable turn of events on the back nine on Sunday, JJ Spaun conquered Oakmont to win the U.S. Open by two shots over Robert MacIntyre. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025 Something Beautiful Wins on Vinyl Something Beautiful does manage to conquer the Vinyl Albums chart, earning Cyrus her third winner on that format-specific list. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 Indeed, if the U.S. has pivoted toward the Gulf under Trump, FIFA has done something strikingly similar; Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2022, and Saudi Arabia will host it in 2034, the logical culmination of the country’s aggressive push to conquer the global sporting scene. Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 13 June 2025 Estonian officials believe that Putin expected to conquer Ukraine quickly and then, from a position of daunting strength, press those demands upon Western leaders unprepared for conventional war and perhaps intimidated by Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling. Joel Gehrke, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conquer

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to acquire, conquer, from Anglo-French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere, alteration of Latin conquirere to search for, collect, from com- + quaerere to ask, search

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conquer. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

conquer

verb
con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering -k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)
1
: to get or gain by force of arms
conquer a country
2
: to defeat by force of arms
conquered all their enemies
3
: overcome sense 1, subdue
conquer a habit
4
: to be victorious
conqueror noun

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