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.
One of the most notable examples was the merger of JDS Fitel and Uniphase in 1999, positioned as the creation of a fiber-optics empire.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
She later became a billionaire, albeit briefly, when her media empire Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was floated on the stock market in 1999.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Carefully chosen, Mr. de la Bédoyère’s selection of emperors shows the variety of Roman rulers and the unsteadiness of the empire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Unlike Google or Meta, it has no advertising empire to fall back on if business takes a hit, and no cloud business like Microsoft's or SpaceX's.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
"Bow to the greatest king in my empire!"
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
The 11th-century Investiture Controversy left behind a weakened Holy Roman Empire, a fragmented Italy and centuries of European division, at a moment when unity was desperately needed against the Saracens and Turks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Mignon was born in the eastern reaches of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1903.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Together, these findings have helped researchers understand how the Wari Empire governed its territories.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
The animals reached Spain during the Roman Empire and were later brought to what is now Mexico by Spanish colonists in the 1500s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
His code name for the invasion was “Operation Barbarossa,” after the great twelfth-century tactician and emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who unified many European kingdoms under German rule as leader of the Holy Roman Empire.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Colleges took advantage of the uber-low rates to expand their real-estate empires and improve amenities to lure students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Lebanon is brimming with archaeological finds showcasing its rich history over thousands of years, from the Phoenician, Persian, Roman and Byzantine periods, the Crusades, and Arab and Islamic sultanates and empires.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
You’re both from the Midwest, you both dropped out of college, and you both have built these political media empires.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
For the Ga Mantse, admitting fault does not dilute the guilt of European empires; rather, it solidifies Africa's moral standing and sets an example as to how to move forward.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
One newspaper editor had sagely, if cynically, observed that “the usual custom is for the capital of new empires to be selected by the whim or caprice of a despot.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
