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.
The Bundists were secular Jewish socialists who opposed emigration to Palestine in favor of “hereness” in the Russian empire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Slate’s Lizzie O’Leary chatted with comedian Tim Heidecker about how he’s turning Alex Jones’ conspiracy empire on its head.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Tesco could sell its European operations "in a move that would bring down the curtain on a three-decade attempt" to build a global empire for the UK's biggest supermarket, the Financial Times reports.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
If you aren’t running a 24/7 empire of yourself, are you even working?
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
For we discover that some of them always lived nobly and demonstrated great strength of character, yet nevertheless lost their empire or were killed by their own soldiers who plotted against them.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Two days later, Madonna reposted AI fan edits of herself atop the Empire State Building’s spire, waving a “Confessions II” banner.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
After 52 years of providing the Inland Empire with mini golf, roller skating and go-karting, Fiesta Village Fun Park is shutting down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Lynval Golding and Horace Panter will appear at HMV Empire in Coventry on 9 July to celebrate the release.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Europe used to have a grand idea of itself rooted in Christianity, the social bonds of feudalism and the long afterglow of the Roman Empire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Desperate to escape him, I entered the next building I came across—the Krupp Pavilion, a fortresslike structure whose tower was adorned with decorative eagles and the red, white and black flag of the German Empire.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
It is with such acts of carelessness that leaders lose their credibility and empires lose their power.
From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026
In the 20th century, world-spanning empires gave way to the network of nation states that have maintained global order to this day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The Adani Group is one of India's largest business empires, operating businesses ranging from ports and power plants to cement factories and media houses.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Lineker and Neville are now two of the biggest players in a rapidly changing media industry, each with their own digital empires, via their Goalhanger and Overlap platforms respectively.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
Territorial empires are tightly controlled but costly to maintain; hegemonic empires are inexpensive to maintain, because the original local rulers incur the costs of administration, but the loose tie between master and vassal encourages rebellion.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
