conquer

verb

con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering ˈkäŋ-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to gain or acquire by force of arms : subjugate
conquer territory
2
: to overcome by force of arms : vanquish
conquered the enemy
3
: to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition
conquered the mountain
4
: to overcome by mental or moral power : surmount
conquered her fear

intransitive verb

: to be victorious
Choose the Right Synonym for conquer

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of conquer in a Sentence

And my girlfriends are really strong, feminine women—yet we can all be girls together. Some days we just have to go out and shop, get a massage …  . The next day we want to conquer the world and start our own company. Sandra Bullock, quoted in Playboy, September 1995
After her initial passionate prayer of thanks for the strength to conquer her vast disappointment, she stayed on her knees, the hassock comfortable … James Clavell, Gai-Jin, (1993) 1994
It used to be that men "conquered" mountains in a cacophony of gratuitous chest-thumping. Tim Cahill, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 1990
But however vile the movie, the sentiments it embodies are (as they say) American as apple pie: the west was something to be conquered and claimed. Margaret Atwood, Survival, 1972
The city was conquered by the ancient Romans. They conquered all their enemies. He finally conquered his drug habit. Scientists believe the disease can be conquered.
Recent Examples on the Web Author of 'Swarm Troopers: How small drones will conquer the world,' following cutting-edge military technology in general and the drone warfare revolution in particular. David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 The answers are personal and individual, and never right or wrong; and require the sort of deep thinking the current regime has been attempting to conquer drip by drip for a very long time. Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2024 The strategy means transforming from merely relying on foreign trade for growth to strengthening brand building and leveraging technology and service exports to conquer larger markets. Li Jun, WWD, 1 Oct. 2024 At their peak, Oasis conquered the U.K., mainland Europe and developed dedicated fan bases in Latin American and Asian markets. Thomas Smith, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for conquer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conquer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to acquire, conquer, from Anglo-French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere, alteration of Latin conquirere to search for, collect, from com- + quaerere to ask, search

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conquer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conquer

Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conquer. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

conquer

verb
con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering -k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)
1
: to get or gain by force of arms
conquer a country
2
: to defeat by force of arms
conquered all their enemies
3
: overcome sense 1, subdue
conquer a habit
4
: to be victorious
conqueror noun

More from Merriam-Webster on conquer

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