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Synonyms

emperor

American  
[em-per-er] / ˈɛm pər ər /

noun

  1. the male sovereign or supreme ruler of an empire.

    the emperors of Rome.

  2. Chiefly British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 48 × 72 inches (122 × 183 centimeters).


emperor British  
/ ˈɛmpərə /

noun

  1. a monarch who rules or reigns over an empire

  2. Also called: emperor moth.  any of several large saturniid moths with eyelike markings on each wing, esp Saturnia pavonia of Europe See also giant peacock moth

  3. See purple emperor

"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

Other Word Forms

  • emperorship noun
  • preemperor noun

Etymology

Origin of emperor

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English empero(u)r, (from Anglo-French; Old French empereor, from Latin imperātor, originally, “one who gives orders, ruler,” equivalent to imperā(re) “to order, command” ( im- “in” + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to provide, get ready” ) + -tor noun suffix of agency; im- 1, prepare, -tor

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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.

In his recounting of the emperor’s life, he supports the image of Marcus as a beleaguered sage who maintained his moral center amid troubled times.

From The Wall Street Journal

He imagines himself to be the emperor of the Americas — all of it.

From Los Angeles Times

Japan's emperor is generally treated with hushed reverence, but one man stripped away all decorum -- quite literally -- during a New Year's event on Friday, local media reported.

From Barron's

The story moves forward in time, with Paul Atreides now emperor, trapped in a position of power he never wanted and presiding over a holy war carried out in his name.

From Los Angeles Times

The new emperor, Franz Joseph I, declared that Austria was a unitary state.

From The Wall Street Journal