Empire Meaning
/ˈɛm.paɪ̯ə̯/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA political state, often a monarchy, that has achieved a much greater current size than its initial size by conquering surrounding territories, cities or nations.
nounA political unit ruled by an emperor or empress.
Sentence Examples
Romans did not want their empire to decline; but it did.
The empire absorbed all the small states.
These invasions almost led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient Roman ____ once ruled lands across three continents.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Roman ____ expanded across three different continents in the past.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English empire, from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of empery and imperium.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"States and empires fail when they are no longer the solution, they are the problem."
— 2022 February 7, Charles Hugh Smith, How Empires Die:
"British people [...] continued to believe in empire. It was what gave Britain a unique role in the world, and in return Britain had drawn strength from its empire to enable it to survive two great wars that had wrecked so many of its competitors. Imperial management in the twentieth[…]"
— 2001 August 2, P. J. Marshall, The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 105:
"Since Britain imported mainly foodstuffs from its empire, no preferences could be granted to the colonies without Britain first imposing a tariff on foodstuffs imported from other countries."
— 2021 April 13, Daniel Verdier, Democracy and International Trade: Britain, France, and the United States, 1860-1990, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 139:
"“Revenues for Jackson's non-profit empire sky-rocketed from $4 million in 1997, to more than $14 million just two years later.”"
— 2002, Evelyn L. Damore, The Rattle and Hiss of the Tin Gods, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 111:
"The Mafia never forgave Castro but Lansky had already laid the foundations of a mob gambling empire all over the Caribbean […]"
— 2009, Martin Short, The Rise of the Mafia, Kings Road Publishing, →ISBN:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient Roman ____ once ruled lands across three continents.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Roman ____ expanded across three different continents in the past.