Emperor Meaning
/ˈɛmp(ə)ɹə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe male monarch or ruler of an empire.
nounAny monarch ruling an empire, irrespective of gender, with "empress" contrasting to mean the consort of an emperor.
Sentence Examples
Emperor Nero was an extremely evil tyrant.
The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State.
Your sovereign is king of Prussia and emperor of Germany.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient ____ ruled the vast empire with absolute power.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient ____ ruled over a vast territory for many decades.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English emperour, from Anglo-Norman emperour, from Latin imperātorem, derived from imperō (“to command”). Doublet of imperator. Displaced earlier Old English casere, from Latin Caesar.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"They asked Julius Caesar, the valiant Roman emperor, what was the best death. He answered, that which is unexpected, which comes suddenly and unforeseen"
— 1885, John Ormsby, transl., Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, Volume 2 Chapter XXIV:
"In 690 Wu usurped the throne and became Emperor herself, which proved a unique event in the history of China."
— 1994, Het Spinhuis, Transactions: Essays in Honor of Jeremy F. Boissevain:
"After his death in 683 she ruled for seven years as regent and then, deposing her son, became emperor herself, the only woman in Chinese history to hold the title."
— 2002, The Heritage of World Civilizations: To 1700, page 226:
"Empress, imperial regent, and even emperor herself (r. 797–802), Irene was an important and powerful figure at the Byzantine court in the late eighth and early ninth century."
— 2008, Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation, page 211:
"Originally the wife of the emperor, she engineered the imperial succession so that she could serve first as regent to a boy emperor and then as emperor herself."
— 2013, Voyages in World History, page 213:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient ____ ruled the vast empire with absolute power.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ancient ____ ruled over a vast territory for many decades.