imperialism

noun im·pe·ri·al·ism \ im-ˈpir-ē-ə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: imperialism in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Linguistic Roots of imperialism

Definition of imperialism

1 : imperial government, authority, or system

2 : the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence

union imperialism

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imperialist

play \im-ˈpir-ē-ə-list\ noun or adjective

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imperialistic

play \im-ˌpir-ē-ə-ˈli-stik\ adjective

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imperialistically

play \im-ˌpir-ē-ə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of imperialism in a Sentence

British imperialism created the enormous British Empire.

Recent Examples of imperialism from the Web

In what corners of the world will the British Empire’s colonization and imperialism cease, and for what global violence will it be held accountable? When has white women emulating black women ever, ever led to the destruction of white supremacy?

— kirsten west savali, The Root, "Al Sharpton Claims ‘White Male Supremacy’ Is ‘On Its Last Breath’ Because Harry Married Meghan, and I Need Him To Stop Talking," 20 May 2018
Communist propaganda saw proof of America’s duplicity and imperialism.

— The Economist, "George Marshall won the war and rebuilt Europe, but lost China," 3 May 2018
One of these Numbers, an engineer named D-503, is building the INTEGRAL, a spaceship designed for galactic imperialism.

— The Economist, "An eerie dystopian prophecy by a disillusioned Bolshevik," 31 May 2018
Major Edward McConville was killed on the first day of a conflict with Philippine insurgents after Idaho troops were deployed to contain Spanish imperialism during the Spanish-American War.

— christina lords, idahostatesman, "He was the 1st Idahoan killed in action. And he died in a war you've probably never heard of. | Idaho Statesman," 27 May 2018
And the royal family is becoming even more closely associated with imperialism in the Brexit era.

— anna north, Vox, "For many feminists, Meghan Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry is — like so many weddings — a mixed bag.," 15 May 2018
One vignette shows Pratt among a group of Philadelphia men implicated in the slave trade, and others deal with imperialism, especially by the French in Vietnam.

— thomas hine, Philly.com, "'Antipodes' at Lemon Hill shows a way forward: Philly's mansions don't need to be musty antiques," 25 Apr. 2018
His chief adviser, Seumas Milne, devoted much of his journalistic career at the Guardian to fulminating against American imperialism.

— The Economist, "BagehotThis is a bad time for the special relationship to be under strain," 18 Jan. 2018
The Games are regarded by some as an enduring reminder of British imperialism.

— aimee lewis, CNN, "Does the Commonwealth Games have a future?," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imperialism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 net the effects of western dominance in other parts of the world, in its current use, imperialism often carries a negative connotation.

Origin and Etymology of imperialism

¹imperial + -ism

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1684

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

IMPERIALISM Defined for English Language Learners

imperialism

noun

Definition of imperialism for English Language Learners

: a policy or practice by which a country increases its power by gaining control over other areas of the world
: the effect that a powerful country or group of countries has in changing or influencing the way people live in other, poorer countries