imperium

noun

im·​pe·​ri·​um im-ˈpir-ē-əm How to pronounce imperium (audio)
1
a
: supreme power or absolute dominion : control
2
: the right to command or to employ the force of the state : sovereignty

Examples of imperium in a Sentence

a nation whose economic imperium waned after the war
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is motivated by a desire to bring about the end times and usher in an everlasting Islamic imperium. Mike Coté, National Review, 20 July 2025 Nintendo has built a reputation on its willingness to catch fans off-guard, and a shutterbug adventure was the last thing anyone expected at the zenith of Pokemon’s imperium. Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025 Poland, through a protest movement, led the liberation of Europe from the Soviet imperium, culminating with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 5 May 2024 But unlike the familiar realm of the Caesars, this imperium doesn’t govern only humans: Talking beasts also live as citizens in the empire. Liz Braswell, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2023 Even the Commonwealth—long a convenient way to sustain a more symbolic form of cultural imperium—has lost much of its meaning. Fintan O’Toole, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at empire

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of imperium was in 1613

Cite this Entry

“Imperium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperium. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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