empress

American  

[em-pris] / ˈɛm prɪs /

noun

1. a female ruler of an empire.

2. the consort of an emperor.

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empress British  

/ ˈɛmprɪs /

noun

1. the wife or widow of an emperor

2. a woman who holds the rank of emperor in her own right

3. a woman of great power and influence

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Gender

See -ess.

Etymology

Origin of empress

1125–75; Middle English emperice, emperesse < Anglo-French; Old French emperesse, empereriz < Latin imperātrīcem, accusative of imperātrix, feminine of imperātor. See emperor, -trix

Example Sentences

“Russia and Western Europe converged” under the empress, at least for a short while.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

I had done so many things, but people probably knew me most for “Maleficent,” but it was then fun to be in “The Great” and I’m playing an empress, but she’s not the Disney version.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

This upcoming Spring/Summer 2026 season has been inspired by Vietnam's former ruling Nguyen dynasty, notably Emperor Khai Dinh and the last empress consort, Nam Phuong, who both lived under colonial French rule.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Her climb from lifestyle author to homemaking empress, along with her fall and brief imprisonment, spawned endless special reports, gossip columns, parodies, and unauthorized biographies both serious and salacious.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2024

He’d chosen a rose because he thought that was the most royal flower and Lynn was his little empress, and he’d chosen white because it was angelic.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata