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.
He speaks and reads Latin, the language of the Roman Empire, though perhaps he addresses his tenants in Brittonic, the Celtic tongue of the British Iron Age.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
Ward was awarded the Bafta Rising Star Award in 2020 and was later nominated twice for roles in the BBC's Small Axe and 2022 film Empire of Light.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
No, these were good old-fashioned pirates, sponsored by the Barbary states: the kingdom of Morocco was independent, while Algiers, Tripoli and Tunis owed a loose allegiance to the Ottoman Empire.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026
Masked pair climb Empire State spire, hang peace banner.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
When Bobby arrived at the Empire Hotel in December 1959 for the first round of the U.S.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
