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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"Why Women Always Take Advantage of Men"
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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:
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
"Historically, Joan was a conqueror romantically also, not just Bob."
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024
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
Van Gerwen's conqueror Suljovic will play Dave Chisnall, while world number one Humphries has been drawn to play Benjamin Reus of Denmark.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024
First arriving in Egypt in 332, the young conqueror was on his way to consult the oracle of Zeus-Ammon at Siwah when he first glimpsed the site of Alexandria.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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
Having defeated the Norwegians, Harold was defeated in turn by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
Majors had previously played villain Kang the Conqueror in the MCU.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025
The “Brave New World” post-credits scene confirms that even though the franchise has moved on from its originally planned major villain, Kang the Conqueror, there’s no stopping the multiverse’s collision course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025
Tyrion Lannister could not have been more astonished if Aegon the Conqueror himself had burst into the room, riding on a dragon and juggling lemon pies.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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
Theirs is the other grand story from would-be California conquerors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2025
Men who seize this opportunity are not conquered or conquerors.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2024
The goal preserved Leverkusen's incredible unbeaten record since a 3-0 reverse at Bochum on 27 May last year, 328 days ago, and booked a last-four meeting with Brighton's conquerors Roma, who knocked out AC Milan.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2024
By 642, the armies of Muslim conquerors, along with the arguments of the Muslim faithful, took the religion all across Syria, Iraq, parts of Iran, and Egypt.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
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.
