imperialism
noun
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Usage of Colonialism and Imperialism
In contexts dealing with the domination of a people or area by a foreign power, colonialism and imperialism are often used together with no real distinction in meaning. Used separately, however, each of these words can take on a slightly different emphasis. Colonialism comes from colony, and tends to be applied in contexts addressing the effects that colonialism has on the lives of those living in colonies. Imperialism is closely related to empire and therefore tends to place more emphasis on the ruling power and its intent to expand its dominion, as well as on the expanded empire itself, with its distinct parts subsumed under the banner of the dominating force.
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Linguistic Roots of Imperialism
The original meaning of imperialism was a simple one: "imperial government," that is, empire in the classical sense (such as existed in ancient Rome, China, and Greece). In more recent times, imperialism has become synonymous with western hegemony in Africa and Asia from the 18th through the 20th centuries and with the spreading cultural influence of the United States. Formerly implying military and governmental dominance, the word today is often invoked in a wider variety of contexts, such as cultural imperialism, media imperialism, and economic imperialism. And while there has been considerable debate about the net effects of western dominance in other parts of the world, in its current use, imperialism often carries a negative connotation.
Examples of imperialism in a Sentence
Waiyee Loh, JSTOR Daily, 2 July 2025
This is a result of a profit-first capitalist system in crisis in the epoch of imperialism’s decline.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
People who live in Vietnam, however, are more likely to view it as a symbol of American imperialism, and as nationalistic sentiment here has swelled in recent years, evoking the Golden State has become a shorthand of sorts to criticize those opponents.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Absorbed by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, and occupied for nearly 50 years (until 1991), the three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—understand Russian imperialism better than almost anyone except maybe Ukraine.
—Tamar Jacoby, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperialism
Cite this Entry
“Imperialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperialism. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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imperialism
noun
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