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
Since then, McMahon has continued his empire building.
From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2023
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
As empire building proceeds under its inescapable expansionist drive, a point will be reached at which the overhead costs of maintaining the empire will exceed the income.
From Civilization and Beyond Learning from History by Nearing, Scott
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.
