empire

See also: empiré

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, 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”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ĕmʹpīə, ĕmʹpī-ə, IPA(key): /ˈɛmpaɪə/, /ˈɛmpaɪ.ə/
  • (General American) enPR: ĕmʹpīr', ĕmʹpī'ər, IPA(key): /ˈɛmˌpaɪɹ/, /ˈɛmˌpaɪɚ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: em‧pire

Noun

empire (plural empires)

  1. A political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations and ruled by a single supreme authority.
  2. A political unit that controls at least one kingdom under its vassalage.
  3. A group of states or other territories that owe allegiance to a foreign power.
  4. A state ruled by an emperor.
  5. An expansive and wealthy corporation.
    the McDonald's fast food empire

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Further reading

  • empire in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • empire in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • empire at OneLook Dictionary Search

Adjective

empire (not comparable)

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Empire

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin imperium.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɑ̃.piʁ/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

empire m (plural empires)

  1. empire
  2. influence, authority

Descendants

Verb

empire

  1. first-person singular present indicative of empirer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of empirer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of empirer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of empirer
  5. second-person singular imperative of empirer

Further reading

Anagrams

Italian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *implīre, present active infinitive of *impliō, from Latin impleō.

Verb

empire

  1. (transitive, obsolete) to fill, to overflow

Conjugation

Synonyms

Anagrams

Middle English

Etymology

From Old French, 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”).

Noun

empire (plural empires)

  1. empire

Descendants

Old French

Etymology

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”).

Noun

empire m (oblique plural empires, nominative singular empires, nominative plural empire)

  1. empire

Descendants

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