emperor
Americannoun
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emperors
plural
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the male sovereign or supreme ruler of an empire.
the emperors of Rome.
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Chiefly British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 48 × 72 inches (122 × 183 centimeters).
noun
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a monarch who rules or reigns over an empire
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Also called: emperor moth. any of several large saturniid moths with eyelike markings on each wing, esp Saturnia pavonia of Europe See also giant peacock moth
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See purple emperor
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of emperor
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English empero(u)r, (from Anglo-French; Old French empereor, from Latin imperātor, originally, “one who gives orders, ruler,” equivalent to imperā(re) “to order, command” ( im- “in” + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to provide, get ready” ) + -tor noun suffix of agency; see im- 1, prepare, -tor
Compare meaning
How does emperor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Forget prime ministers, presidents or even kings or queens: an emperor was the biggest, baddest ruler of them all — the leader of undisputed power who controlled a nation or, more usually, a number of subjugated nations known collectively as an empire. Nowadays the emperor is no more, replaced by humbler and usually more democratic leaders, but the notion of an all-conquering larger-than-life figure lives on in the way we give the prefix emperor to particularly magnificent specimens of living things: the Emperor Butterfly, Emperor Moth and Emperor Penguin, most famously. The Roman emperors would be proud.
Vocabulary lists containing emperor
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires - Introductory
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"The Lotus Seed"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even Hadrian, the emperor, said, “I’ve never met anyone who did not feel better after receiving a compliment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Jesus was not being clever when he said in Matthew 22:21 “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
By contrast, more than 70 percent supported a woman emperor, and 40 percent a matrilineal one.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
In a June survey conducted by newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, involving more than 2,000 participants, more than 70% of respondents said they supported having a female emperor.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
There was even talk that the emperor himself was interested in seeing it.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Zuckerberg has shown interest in classical history, even naming his daughters after Roman emperors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
There have been eight female emperors on the Chrysanthemum Throne in Japan's imperial family, whose divine status was renounced after World War II.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
This period of relative stability from 1556 to 1658 coincided with the reigns of three consecutive emperors: Akbar, his son Jahangir and his grandson Shah Jahan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
For centuries, a shimmering golden fabric known as sea silk was one of the world's most exclusive luxury materials, reserved for emperors, popes, and other powerful figures.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
If you look at pictures of Roman emperors you’ll see there’s always a great hint of crossed eyes.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
