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.
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
But their empire building has not been without its controversial moments, with questions raised about EG Group's governance and a fine for "appalling" safety breaches at a former company.
From BBC ● Feb. 29, 2024
As more of the industrialized nations embarked on empire building, and as reaching international markets became an expected part of their strategy, the value of having strong navies to protect commercial trade only grew.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
It is true we came late on the stage of history, and, starting as a democracy, were instinctively opposed to empire building.
From The Soul of Democracy The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human Liberty by Edward Howard Griggs
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.
