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

Mariana Yepez climbed the ranks of the Los Angeles street food scene before building her own taco empire. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Casillas resurfaces after disappearing from his inner circle, determined to reclaim his empire and settle scores with both old enemies and new ones, even as the DEA closes in and the loyalties around him begin to fracture. — Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Among his favorite Star Wars pieces are two Master Replicas AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) models inspired by the original props from The Empire Strikes Back. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

And then there’s Doughlicious founder Kathryn Bricken, who started over again at 50—working 20-hour days and pushing through breast cancer treatment to build her multimillion-dollar cookie dough empire. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 7 July 2026

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