empire building
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of empire building
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
Carrie Canham from Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth said the artefacts were the first of their kind to be found in west Wales and "highlight Ceredigion's significance in Emperor Domitian Caesar Augustus's empire building".
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
One reason the Monroe doctrine and empire building went out of fashion was that colonies and client states wanted out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Yes, there had always been daytime game shows, but after “American Idol” and “Survivor” became prime-time hits and the Kardashians began their empire building, the reality craze spread like kudzu through broadcast and cable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025
Bismarck originally believed empire building was a foolish venture that cost more than it returned.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
After all, primitive as this work might be, it was empire building of the most fundamental sort.
From The Forbidden Trail by Honoré Morrow
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.
