imperialism

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

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

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

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
Days after their conviction in 2016, Maduro blasted the case as an example of US imperialism.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Study finds more prison sentences don't lead to less drug use," 14 Mar. 2018
Early Asian-American politicians paved the way, hawking a post-racial fantasy of America while masking its imperialism.

— aditi natasha kini, The Root, "The Model Minority Is Not a Myth: It’s Ajit Pai," 19 Jan. 2018
Not much of the final map of college football imperialism for 2017 was going to change after Monday night.

— tim bielik, cleveland.com, "Michigan's Karan Higdon staying for 2018; Lane Kiffin thought Tua Tagovailoa was close to leaving Alabama: Buckeye Breakfast," 10 Jan. 2018
Days after their conviction in 2016, Maduro blasted the case as an example of US imperialism.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Study finds more prison sentences don't lead to less drug use," 14 Mar. 2018
Mark Lazarus also addressed the gaffe made by Korea expert Joshua Cooper Ramo, who seemed to gloss over Japan’s history of imperialism in Korea during NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony.

— marisa guthrie, The Hollywood Reporter, "NBC Sports Chief on Olympic Gymnast Sex-Abuse Scandal: "Horrific Failure of the System"," 13 Feb. 2018
Following the seventeenth century, European imperialism disrupted the symbiosis of religion and state in places where colonial regimes were installed.

— amar diwakar, The New Republic, "Saffron Curtain: How Buddhism Was Weaponized During the Cold War," 23 Mar. 2018
Days after their conviction in 2016, Maduro blasted the case as an example of US imperialism.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Study finds more prison sentences don't lead to less drug use," 14 Mar. 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