empire Hear it!

empire definition

em·pire (em′pīr′; for adj., also ôm pē′ər, -pir′; äm-)

noun

  1. supreme rule; absolute power or authority; dominion
    1. government by an emperor or empress
    2. the period during which such government prevails
    1. a group of states or territories under the sovereign power of an emperor or empress
    2. a state uniting many territories and peoples under a single sovereign power
  4. an extensive social or economic organization under the control of a single person, family, or corporation

Etymology: ME & OFr < L imperium < imperare: see emperor

adjective

of or characteristic of the first French Empire (1804-15) under Napoleon; specif.,
  1. designating a style of furniture of this period, characterized by massiveness, bronze ornamentation, and motifs of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt
  2. designating a gown in the style of the period, with a short waist, décolleté bodice, flowing skirt, and short, puffed sleeves

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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