Conquer Meaning
/ˈkɒŋkə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo defeat in combat; to subjugate.
verbTo acquire by force of arms, win in war; to become ruler of; to subjugate.
Sentence Examples
You must conquer your fear of the dark.
The day will soon come when we will conquer space and travel to the moon.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The general vowed to ____ the fortress before the winter snow arrived.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The general's ultimate ambition was to confidently ____ the neighboring kingdoms and expand his empire.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, from Late Latin conquaerere (“to knock, strike; to search for, procure”), from Latin con- + quaerere (“to seek, acquire”). Displaced native Old English oferwinnan.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I lay in the desert beyond all cities and sounds, and above me flowed the River of Silence through the sky; and on the desert’s edge night fought against the Sun, and suddenly conquered."
— 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 88:
"I haue beene wooed, as I intreat thee now, / Euen by the ſterne, and direfull God of warre, / VVhoſe ſinowie necke in battel nere did bow, / VVho conquers where he comes in euery iarre; […]"
— 1594, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, [verse 17], lines [97–100]:
"We conquer'd France, but felt our captive's charms."
— 1714, Alexander Pope, Imitation of Horace, Book II. Sat. 6:
""Look at Clive - just a clerk, and he conquered India!""
— 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
"Taiwan's interests and Hong Kong's political and economic future are best served by close ties between their friends in the West and Beijing. For example, the fact that the PRC must choose between using force to conquer Taiwan and forfeiting its relationship with the United States is the best guarantee of Taipei's security."
— 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 170:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The general vowed to ____ the fortress before the winter snow arrived.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The general's ultimate ambition was to confidently ____ the neighboring kingdoms and expand his empire.