imperator

noun

im·​pe·​ra·​tor ˌim-pə-ˈrä-tər How to pronounce imperator (audio)
-ˌtȯr
: a commander in chief or emperor of the ancient Romans
imperatorial adjective

Examples of imperator in a Sentence

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.
Prior to Taylor-Joy, 27, taking over the title role of Furiosa, Charlize Theron starred as the imperator in the Oscar-winning 2015 action adventure film, Mad Max: Fury Road, alongside Tom Hardy and Nicholas Hoult. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 In his first hours as Twitter’s imperator, Musk has been like a man who woke up in the middle of the night in a new house, fumbling around in the dark and bumping into walls while grasping for a light switch. Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2022 Under the Roman republic, an imperator was a victorious general, and later one of two consuls. Dominic Green, WSJ, 7 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin imperātor "person giving orders, commanding officer, title of honor bestowed on a victorious general by his troops, title conferred by the Roman senate on Julius Caesar and Augustus and adopted by later successors" — more at emperor

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imperator was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near imperator

Cite this Entry

“Imperator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperator. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

imperator

noun
im·​pe·​ra·​tor ˌim-pə-ˈrät-ər How to pronounce imperator (audio)
-ˈrä-ˌtȯ(ə)r
: a commander in chief or emperor of the ancient Romans

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