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conquest

American  
[kon-kwest, kong-] / ˈkɒn kwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

  1. the act or state of conquering or the state of being conquered; vanquishment.

    Synonyms:
    mastery, defeat, subjugation
    Antonyms:
    surrender
  2. the winning of favor, affection, love, etc..

    the conquest of Antony by Cleopatra.

    Synonyms:
    enchantment, seduction
  3. a person whose favor, affection, etc., has been won.

    He's another one of her conquests.

  4. anything acquired by conquering, as a nation, a territory, or spoils.

  5. the Conquest. Norman Conquest.


conquest 1 British  
/ ˈkɒnkwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of conquering or the state of having been conquered; victory

  2. a person, thing, etc, that has been conquered or won

  3. the act or art of gaining a person's compliance, love, etc, by seduction or force of personality

  4. a person, whose compliance, love, etc, has been won over by seduction or force of personality

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Conquest 2 British  
/ ˈkɒnkwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

  1. See Norman Conquest

  2. the conquest by the United Kingdom of French North America, ending in 1763

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See victory.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of conquest

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English conqueste, from Anglo-French, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin conquēsta (for Latin conquīsīta, feminine past participle of conquīrere ). See con-, quest

Explanation

Alexander the Great's famous conquest of the Persian Empire was an act of conquering. For Casanova, on the other hand, a conquest was an act of seduction. Conquest derives from the Vulgar Latin word conquaerere, meaning "to search for, procure by effort, or win." In addition to its most commonly used meanings — conquering and seduction — conquest has a third, less well-known meaning: a success in mastering something difficult, like the violin, for instance, or flying an airplane.

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Vocabulary lists containing conquest

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.

The comet became one of the most famous symbols associated with the year 1066 and even appears in the Bayeux Tapestry, the medieval artwork depicting the Norman conquest of England.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

The Revolutionary War opened the West to conquest and settlement but also exposed its dangers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

By episode three, the Doctor has stolen a vital component needed for the conquest, but after leaving Kembel they are forced to land on penal planet Desperus - pursued by the Daleks.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

According to the Hollywood Reporter, HBO is also developing the story of Aegon’s conquest of Westeros as a potential drama series.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Although the Spaniards’ superior weapons would have assured an ultimate Spanish victory in any case, the capture made the conquest quicker and infinitely easier.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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