of, like, or pertaining to an empire.
of, like, or pertaining to an emperor or empress.
characterizing the rule or authority of a sovereign state over its dependencies.
of the nature or rank of an emperor or supreme ruler.
of a commanding quality, manner, aspect, etc.
of special or superior size or quality, as various products and commodities.
(of weights and measures) conforming to the standards legally established in Great Britain.
a size of printing or drawing paper, 22 × 30 inches (56 × 76 centimeters) in England, 23 × 33 inches (58 × 84 centimeters) in the United States.
imperial octavo, a size of book, about 8¼ × 11½ inches (21 × 29 centimeters), untrimmed, in the United States, and 7½ × 11 inches (19 × 28 centimeters), untrimmed, in England. imperial 8vo
Chiefly British. imperial quarto, a size of book, about 11 × 15 inches (28 × 38 centimeters), untrimmed. imperial 4to
the top of a carriage, especially of a diligence.
a case for luggage carried there.
a member of an imperial party or of imperial troops.
an emperor or empress.
any of various articles of special size or quality.
an oversized bottle used especially for storing Bordeaux wine, equivalent to 8 regular bottles or 6 liters (6.6 quarts).
of or relating to an empire, emperor, or empress
characteristic of or befitting an emperor; majestic; commanding
characteristic of or exercising supreme authority; imperious
(esp of products and commodities) of a superior size or quality
(usually prenominal) (of weights, measures, etc) conforming to standards or definitions legally established in Britain
an imperial gallon
any of various book sizes, esp 7 1/ 2 by 11 inches ( imperial octavo ) or (chiefly Brit) 11 by 15 inches ( imperial quarto )
a size of writing or printing paper, 23 by 31 inches (US and Canadian) or 22 by 30 inches (Brit)
(formerly) a Russian gold coin originally worth ten roubles
the top of a carriage, such as a diligence
a luggage case carried there
architect a dome that has a point at the top
a small tufted beard popularized by the emperor Napoleon III
a member of an imperial family, esp an emperor or empress
a red deer having antlers with fourteen points
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Late Latin imperiālis, equivalent to Latin imperi(um) “supreme authority, rule, empire” + -ālis adjective suffix; replacing Middle English emperial, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above; see origin at imperium, -al 1
First recorded in 1835–45; from French impériale, noun use of feminine of impérial; see imperial 1
First recorded in 1760–70; from Russian imperiál, ultimately from Medieval Latin imperiālis a coin, noun use of Late Latin imperiālis; see imperial 1
Imperial carries the implication of royalty, usually pertaining to an empire; the emperor or empress is referred to as "your imperial highness." The word imperial has a lofty feel, and though it's often used of royalty, it is sometimes used to refer to anything extremely large or impressive. It was once the name of a large suitcase that was too big to fit inside a coach and so was tied on top. Think of something imperial as being something so upper-class that it's almost to the point of royalty — and sometimes almost to the point of being a joke.
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There may, in fact, be nothing like it in the imperial history of this planet.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
His book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783, published in 1890, found disciples in Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the Japanese imperial naval ministry, and shaped 20th-century history.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
An apparently innocuous painting of the breadnut plant from around 1825 produced by a now-anonymous artist trained in China belies its history as a fruit of imperial interest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Over the course of the visit, Trump is expected to visit the Temple of Heaven, a monument to imperial China and Confucian thought in the center of Beijing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
After a final flash of imperial splendor, the city joined Kaan and most central Maya cities in obscurity and ruin.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
