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Napoleon III

American  

noun

  1. Louis NapoleonCharles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, 1808–73, president of France 1848–52, emperor of France 1852–70 (nephew of Napoleon I).

Napoleon III British  

noun

  1. full name Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, known as Louis-Napoleon. 1808–73, Emperor of the French (1852–70); nephew of Napoleon I. He led two abortive Bonapartist risings (1836; 1840) and was elected president of the Second Republic (1848), establishing the Second Empire in 1852. Originally successful in foreign affairs, he was deposed after the disastrous Franco-Prussian War

"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

Example Sentences

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According to legend, the founder expanded the store with a financial reward from Napoleon III, after calming horses that had been spooked while pulling the carriage of Napoleon’s wife, Empress Eugénie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

The loot included a diamond and emerald necklace Emperor Napoleon gave to his wife, a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, and several pieces previously owned by Queen Marie-Amelie.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III, Napoleon’s nephew and heir.

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024

Her 19th-century ancestors had owned a couturier house of fashion whose clientele included Eugenia, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

From 1855 to 1859 Fr�miet was engaged on a series of military statuettes for Napoleon III.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language" by Various

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.