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imperious

[ im-peer-ee-uhs ]
/ ɪmˈpɪər i əs /
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See synonyms for: imperious / imperiously / imperiousness on Thesaurus.com
adjective
domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing: an imperious manner;an imperious person.
urgent; imperative: imperious need.
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Origin of imperious

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin imperiōsus “commanding, tyrannical,” equivalent to imperi(um) imperium + -ōsus -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM imperious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH imperious

imperative, imperial, imperious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to imperious

arrogant, autocratic, dictatorial, domineering, exacting, haughty, high-handed, tyrannical, authoritative, commanding, compulsory, despotic, imperative, imperial, mandatory, obligatory, oppressive, overweening, peremptory, required

How to use imperious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for imperious

imperious
/ (ɪmˈpɪərɪəs) /
adjective
domineering; arrogant; overbearing
rare urgent; imperative

Derived forms of imperious

imperiously, adverbimperiousness, noun

Word Origin for imperious

C16: from Latin imperiōsus from imperium command, power
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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