empire

1 of 2

noun

em·​pire ˈem-ˌpī(-ə)r 

1

a(1)

: a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority

especially : one having an emperor as chief of state

(2)

: the territory of such a political unit

b

: something resembling a political empire

especially : an extensive territory or enterprise under single domination or control

2

: imperial sovereignty, rule, or dominion

3

Empire [Empire State, nickname for New York] : a juicy apple with dark red skin that is a cross between a McIntosh apple and a Red Delicious apple

Empire

2 of 2

adjective

Em·​pire ˈäm-ˌpir  ˈem-ˌpī(-ə)r 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a style (as of clothing or furniture) popular in early 19th century France

Synonyms of empire

Noun

• conglomerate

Examples of empire in a Sentence

Noun

She built a tiny business into a worldwide empire.

He controlled a cattle empire in the heart of Texas.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan empire, rose to prominence around 5,000 years ago along the fertile plains of northwest India and Pakistan. —Jay Kakade december 15, New Atlas, 15 Dec. 2025

Aurelius, the Roman emperor, sold many of his palaces’ furnishings to pay down debt for the empire and ease the burden on Roman citizens, wrote Ryan Holiday, an author of best-selling books on Stoic philosophy. —John Blake, CNN Money, 14 Dec. 2025

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who founded the business empire in the 1760s, would later send his five sons to the different major capitals of Europe from their base in Frankfurt, creating an early international banking network through constant communication. —Kevin Lim, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025

To be sure, Zootopia 2 is great news for Disney’s entire film empire, and also marks the first back-to-back billion-dollar releases for Walt Disney Animation Studios, following last year’s Moana 2. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "supreme power, position of an emperor, territory under an emperor's rule," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin imperium "authority over family members and slaves exercised by the head of a household, supreme administrative authority, dominion, power exercised by a Roman emperor," from imperāre "to give orders, exercise authority, hold political power" + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state — more at emperor

Adjective

French, from (le premier) Empire the first Empire of France

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing empire

• Empire Day
• Holy Roman Empire
• Second Empire

Kids Definition

empire

noun

em·​pire ˈem-ˌpī(ə)r 

1

a

: a major political unit with a large territory or a number of territories or peoples under one ruler with total authority

especially : one having an emperor as chief of state

b

: the territory of such a unit

c

: something resembling an empire

especially : a large group of businesses under one control

2

: the state of being under or of having complete rule or control