Joseph II

American  

noun

1. 1741–90, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 1765–90 (son of Francis I; brother of Leopold II and Marie Antoinette).

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Joseph II British  

noun

1. 1741–90, Holy Roman emperor (1765–90); son of Francis I. He ruled Austria jointly with his mother, Maria Theresa, until her death (1780). He reorganized taxation, abolished serfdom, curtailed the feudal power of the nobles, and asserted his independence from the pope

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Example Sentences

The censors of Emperor Joseph II, an enlightened despot, approved the libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte only after he and Mozart removed all explicit political references that came from the play, including a climactic speech inveighing against the privileged nobility.

From Salon

The one Habsburg who comes in for sustained criticism is the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Joseph II, who seized church property in the 19th century.

From Slate

In “Amadeus” Peter Shaffer’s play, which he and director Milos Forman have turned into an enthralling film, the genius is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the “mediocrity” is Antonio Salieri — reigning success of the court of Emperor Joseph II of Austria in the late 18th Century — and the confrontation between the two is fatal.

From Los Angeles Times

But the friars had fallen out of favor with Emperor Joseph II in 1783.

From Literature

It noted that he had already played for Emperor Joseph II.

From New York Times