imperial

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pe·​ri·​al im-ˈpir-ē-əl 

1

a

: of, relating to, befitting, or suggestive of an empire or an emperor

b(1)

: of or relating to the United Kingdom as distinguished from the constituent parts

(2)

: of or relating to the Commonwealth of Nations and British Empire

2

a

: sovereign

b

: regal, imperious

3

a

: of superior or unusual size or excellence

b

sometimes Imperial : having a full body and a higher-than-average percentage of alcohol

an imperial stout

4

: belonging to the official British series of weights and measures see Weights and Measures Table

imperially

im-ˈpir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

imperial

2 of 2

noun

1

Imperial : an adherent or soldier of the Holy Roman emperor

2

: emperor

3

: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip

4

: something of unusual size or excellence

Synonyms

Adjective

• august
• baronial
• epic
• gallant
• glorious
• grand
• grandiose
• heroic
• heroical
• Homeric
• imposing
• magnific
• magnificent
• majestic
• massive
• monumental
• noble
• proud
• regal
• royal
• splendid
• stately

Examples of imperial in a Sentence

Adjective

a member of the imperial family

envisioned an imperial city that would rival the capitals of Europe for beauty and magnificence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Mixing fresh thinking and centuries-old tradition, Japan's former imperial capital is a hive of artisanal creativity. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2024

The museum, a repository of more than eight million artifacts from around the world, most of them acquired during Britain’s reign as an imperial overlord, holds not just classical sculptures but also Anglo-Saxon weapons, Chinese ceramics, Assyrian wall panels, and the Rosetta Stone. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English imperial, emperiall, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French emperial, imperiall, borrowed from Latin imperiālis "of the Roman emperor," from imperium "supreme administrative authority, power exercised by a Roman emperor" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at empire

Noun

derivative of imperial entry 1, probably after Middle French imperiaux (plural); (sense 3) translation of French impériale

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

circa 1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing imperial

• imperial moth

Kids Definition

imperial

1 of 2 adjective

im·​pe·​ri·​al im-ˈpir-ē-əl 

: of, relating to, or fine enough for an empire or an emperor

imperially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

imperial

2 of 2 noun

: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip