empire
/ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɹ/ noun B1- A political state, often a monarchy, that has achieved a much greater current size than its initial size by conquering surrounding territories, cities or nations. · the Russian empire
- A political unit ruled by an emperor or empress. · The Empire of Vietnam was a short-lived client state of Japan governing Vietnam between March 11 and August 23, 1945.
- The group of states or other territories that owe allegiance to an imperial power (foreign to them), when distinguished from the native territory of that power; imperial possessions.
- An expansive and powerful enterprise under the control of one person or group. · the McDonald's fast food empire
- control, dominion, sway.
Plural empires
From the library
Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained.
Dantès remained a prisoner, and heard not the noise of the fall of Louis XVIII.’s throne, or the still more tragic destruction of the empire.
During this time the empire made its last conscription, and every man in France capable of bearing arms rushed to obey the summons of the emperor.
“Because in 1807 I dreamed of the very plan Napoleon tried to realize in 1811; because, like Machiavelli, I desired to alter the political face of Italy, and instead of allowing it to be split up into a quantity of petty principalities, each held by some weak or tyrannical ruler, I sought to form one large, compact, and powerful empire; and, lastly, because I fancied I had found my Cæsar Borgia in a crowned simpleton, who feigned to enter into my views only to betray me.
Other matches
Learn empire in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.