empire building

American  

noun

1. the plans, activities, achievements, etc., of an empire builder.

---

Etymology

Origin of empire building

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The ingots date back almost 2,000 years to AD87, based on lettering written on the objects, which refers to the Emperor Domitian, who was known for his empire building, including expansion in Britain.

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

Shakespeare offers little room for arias, although Adams borrows from Dryden’s translations of Virgil’s “Aeneid” to give one to Caesar, who stands for the force of modernity in his empire building.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2022

It was a kind of careless cheerfulness that would make Pollyanna blush, but it was certainly in step with an age of empire building and confidence.

From Washington Post • Jul. 16, 2020

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