a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, as the former British Empire, French Empire, Russian Empire, Byzantine Empire, or Roman Empire.
a government under an emperor or empress.
(often initial capital letter) the historical period during which a nation is under such a government.
a history of the second French empire.
supreme power in governing; imperial power; sovereignty.
The legacy of empire is complex, and always entwined with colonialism and nationalism.
supreme control; absolute sway.
passion's empire over the mind.
a powerful and important enterprise or holding of large scope that is controlled by a single person, family, or group of associates.
The family's shipping empire was founded 50 years ago.
(initial capital letter) a variety of apple somewhat resembling the McIntosh.
(initial capital letter) characteristic of or developed during the first French Empire, 1804–15.
(usually initial capital letter) (of women's attire and coiffures) of the style that prevailed during the first French Empire, in clothing being characterized especially by décolletage and a high waistline, coming just below the bust, from which the skirt hangs straight and loose.
(often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to the style of architecture, furnishings, and decoration prevailing in France and imitated to a greater or lesser extent in various other countries, c1800–30: characterized by the use of delicate but elaborate ornamentation imitated from Greek and Roman examples or containing classical allusions, as animal forms for the legs of furniture, bas-reliefs of classical figures, motifs of wreaths, torches, caryatids, lyres, and urns and by the occasional use of military and Egyptian motifs and, under the Napoleonic Empire itself, of symbols alluding to Napoleon I, as bees or the letter N.
See British Empire
French history
the period of imperial rule in France from 1804 to 1815 under Napoleon Bonaparte
Also called: Second Empire. the period from 1852 to 1870 when Napoleon III ruled as emperor
denoting, characteristic of, or relating to the British Empire
denoting, characteristic of, or relating to either French Empire, esp the first: in particular, denoting the neoclassical style of architecture and furniture and the high-waisted style of women's dresses characteristic of the period
an aggregate of peoples and territories, often of great extent, under the rule of a single person, oligarchy, or sovereign state
any monarchy that for reasons of history, prestige, etc, has an emperor rather than a king as head of state
the period during which a particular empire exists
supreme power; sovereignty
a large industrial organization with many ramifications, esp a multinational corporation
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin imperium “mastery, sovereignty, empire”; see empery
An empire is a group of countries or territories that are under the control of a single entity but it can be used figuratively too. She rules her cosmetics empire well, with a solid knowledge of lipsticks, eye shadows, and more. Have you ever heard the phrase, “The sun never sets on the British Empire?” This came about because during the 1800s countries in every time zone around the globe were ruled by England, and it was always daytime in one of them. Although other empires have existed back through time to the original Roman Empire, perhaps the most well-known empire today comes from the popular Star Wars films in which the rebels fight Darth Vader and his evil Empire.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of the most notable examples was the merger of JDS Fitel and Uniphase in 1999, positioned as the creation of a fiber-optics empire.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Unlike Google or Meta, it has no advertising empire to fall back on if business takes a hit, and no cloud business like Microsoft's or SpaceX's.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Becky Peterson and Corrie Driebusch explore the blurred lines of Musk’s empire and how an unprecedented merger could redefine both companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Meta’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has wielded enormous power over the social media empire he built more than two decades ago, leading the California juggernaut through major scandals, scrutiny and technological shifts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Coveting the directorship as a way to build his own bureaucratic empire, Hoover concealed from Stone the extent of his role in domestic surveillance operations and promised to disband the intelligence division.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
The 11th-century Investiture Controversy left behind a weakened Holy Roman Empire, a fragmented Italy and centuries of European division, at a moment when unity was desperately needed against the Saracens and Turks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Mignon was born in the eastern reaches of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1903.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Located approximately 190 miles north of Lima, Castillo de Huarmey covers 110 acres and once served as an administrative and burial center for the Wari Empire.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
In 2023 alone, they closed out the all-star Power Trip festival at the Empire Polo Grounds, and still played two in-the-round nights at SoFi Stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
My father didn't like his job at the Empire Canning Company.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
After World War I and its remaking of the global order, including the end of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires, anticolonial movements stirred across Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
You’re both from the Midwest, you both dropped out of college, and you both have built these political media empires.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
For the Ga Mantse, admitting fault does not dilute the guilt of European empires; rather, it solidifies Africa's moral standing and sets an example as to how to move forward.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Paramount Skydance plans to redevelop its historic Hollywood studio as it consolidates the vast Warner Bros. and Paramount real estate empires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Notwithstanding its decadent image, Ptolemaic Egypt was one of the most successful large empires of antiquity.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
