imperial Definition
im·peri·al (im pir′ē əl)
adjective
- of an empire
- of a country having control or sovereignty over other countries or colonies
- of, or having the rank of, an emperor or empress
- having supreme authority; sovereign
- majestic; august
- imperious
- of great size or superior quality
- of or pertaining to the Commonwealth
- according to the standard of weights and measures set by British law and used in Great Britain, Canada, and some other countries
Etymology: OFr < L imperialis < imperium, empire
noun
- a supporter or a soldier of any of the Holy Roman emperors
- the roof or top of a coach, or a luggage case carried on it
- an article of great size or superior quality
- a size of writing paper measuring 23 by 31 inches (in England, 22 by 30 or 32 inches)
- ☆
Etymology: after the emperor Louis Napoleon, who set this fashion
a pointed tuft of beard on the lower lip and chin
imperial Related Forms
im·pe′ri·ally adverb
imperial Synonyms
imperial
modif.
imperial Usage Examples
Modifying Another Word
- truly: This is the year in which Queen Victoria held her Diamond Jubilee in truly imperial pomp and ceremony.
- then: From the Romans to the Normans to the Dutch invasion of 1688, our island stories are typically global and then imperial.
Modifies a noun
- majesty: Vain to protest against the imperial majesty of Rome!
- throne: Yet O, imperial throne, I bought thee dear!
- palace: What would the German emperors of the Middle Ages be without their cathedrals and their imperial palaces?
- gallon: The spare wheel is held in a secure cradle beneath the boot / gasoline tank which holds 10 imperial gallons.
- cult: There is far more evidence from the province of Britain for homage to the Emperor than for the imperial cult.
- dynasty: Either way, the result was a new imperial dynasty: the Flavians.
Used with adjective complement
- use: Yet both the Government and the news media usually communicate with the public using imperial.
- convert: Shoppers are frequently unable to compare the prices of similar products without using a calculator to convert imperial into metric.
- comprise: Delhi The bustling capital of India is a city of two centers, comprising imperial Lutyens architecture and numerous monuments to the Moghul empire.
- look: This looks more imperial than cosmopolitan and more power political than liberal.
Noun used with modifier
Browse dictionary entries near imperial

