definitions

Second Empire

noun

the empire established in France (1852–70) by Louis Napoleon: the successor to the Second Republic.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for second empire

Second Empire

noun

  1. the imperial government of France under Napoleon III
  2. the period during which this government functioned (1852–70)
the style of furniture and decoration of the Second Empire, reviving the Empire style, but with fussier ornamentation
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