empire building

American  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of empire building

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

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

This empire building process was not gradual and directed with scrupulous care to preserve the amenities and niceties of polite social intercourse.

From Civilization and Beyond Learning from History by Nearing, Scott