conqueror
noun
a person who conquers or vanquishes; victor.
conqueror
American
[kong-ker-er]
/ ˈkɒŋ kər ər /
noun
-
conquerors
plural
Conqueror
British
/ ˈkɒŋkərə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of conqueror
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conquerour, from Anglo-French; Old French conquereor, from conquer(re) “to conquer” ( see conquer) + -eor, from either Latin -or -or 1 or -ātor -ator
Explanation
A conqueror takes over a place by using military force. If you enjoy role-playing video games, you might like taking on the persona of a conqueror who battles evil orcs in order to rule their territory. Generally, conqueror is used to mean the winner of a war or the leader of a vanquishing army. You can also use it in a figurative way for someone who wins or defeats others in a game or sport: "My conqueror in the chess match was that tiny ten-year-old kid." The Latin root of both conqueror and conquer is conquirere, "to win or procure by effort."
Vocabulary lists containing conqueror
Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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:
Price, meanwhile, made it past England's James Wade in the quarter-finals before beating compatriot Jonny Clayton - Littler's conqueror - in the last four.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Gilgamesh returns to his kingdom of Uruk not as a conqueror but as a witness: to loss, to limitation, to the fragile beauty of what cannot last.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
But it seems more and more obvious that he's seriously entertaining fantasies of being some sort of world conqueror.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2025
Chris Hemsworth, in one of the most colorful and transformative performances of his career, plays the villain Dementus with the flair of a deranged Roman conqueror.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
In other words, Cleopatra performed all of the duties of a queen, of a commander, and of a conqueror.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Aegon’s descendants revere the Conqueror so highly that he has numerous prominent namesakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
The 11th-century work, which depicts the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror, arrived in London in July for a sell-out showcase that runs until July 2027.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Battle of Hastings, fought on 14 October 1066 on the Sussex coast, saw William the Conqueror defeat King Harold and seize the English throne.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
His descendants revere Aegon the Conqueror so highly that he has numerous prominent namesakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
“You can hear them clanking ten leagues off” There were more, near as mad or worse: Lord Wobble- cheeks, the Drunken Conqueror, the Beastmaster, Pudding Face, the Rabbit, the Charioteer, the Perfumed Hero.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
The ancient world had many kings and conquerors, but there was no one like Alexander the Great.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He even hailed Britain's role in colonizing North America -- a controversial subject given the atrocities against native people by waves of European conquerors who crossed the Atlantic.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
In the 7th Century, as Arab conquerors swept across North Africa, they brought with them their language and the Islamic religion.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026
Men who seize this opportunity are not conquered or conquerors.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2024
The Congo River, being of a different temperament, drowned most of its conquerors outright.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
