as in dominion
controlling power or influence over others
a nation whose economic imperium waned after the war
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Recent Examples of imperium
But our failure to anticipate this most recent spark of dissent is perhaps more understandable; after all, as Xi’s one-party Leninist imperium has gathered momentum, most foreign journalists have been expelled from China.
—
Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2022
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
Playing that particular Neil Young tune to represent the American imperium was an insidious selection.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2024
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
Many people in what was formerly East Germany, part of the Soviet imperium until shortly before German unification in 1990, look favorably on Moscow.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Firstly, the struggle of Czech writers (within a German-speaking imperium) to transform their little vernacular into a language of literary distinction.
—Jared Marcel Pollen, The New Republic, 12 July 2023
In Poland — a nation held captive in the totalitarian Soviet imperium for decades before leading the struggle to break those chains and rejoin Europe — ideas of heroism and sacrifice endured.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023
Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2022
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
Playing that particular Neil Young tune to represent the American imperium was an insidious selection.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2024
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
Many people in what was formerly East Germany, part of the Soviet imperium until shortly before German unification in 1990, look favorably on Moscow.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Firstly, the struggle of Czech writers (within a German-speaking imperium) to transform their little vernacular into a language of literary distinction.
—Jared Marcel Pollen, The New Republic, 12 July 2023
In Poland — a nation held captive in the totalitarian Soviet imperium for decades before leading the struggle to break those chains and rejoin Europe — ideas of heroism and sacrifice endured.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperium
Noun
-
Indian spirituality, with its emphasis on the interconnectedness of life, was an important check on the hubris of American individualism and biblical notions of how the world had been given by God to man to have dominion over.—
Andrew Moore,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
By making his milieu familiar to a modern audience, Hytner and Bailey ignore the profound strangeness of Richard, who gains dominion over himself only by letting a nation slip through his fingers.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
All of that has culminated in domination at Quail Hollow.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
-
The group’s No. 1 run began in July 2019, when Del Barrio Hasta Aquí debuted at the summit, becoming its longest-leading set to date, with an 18-week domination.—
Pamela Bustios,
Billboard,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
By strategically leveraging its dominance in PCs and cloud computing, Microsoft is set to redefine enterprise AI.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Either result will represent a change from the recent dominance of a brilliant Real Madrid, who have won the biggest prize in six of the past 11 seasons.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Even after the restoration of full sovereignty with German reunification in 1990, German officials still trod lightly.—
Mark I. Vail,
The Conversation,
16 May 2025
-
As a result, its ability to translate regulatory ambitions into digital sovereignty is limited.—
Ian Bremmer,
Foreign Affairs,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
In recent years, Beijing and Washington have been vying for supremacy in AI technology that could confer the winner advantages in economic productivity, scientific breakthroughs and national security.—
Amy Gunia,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
-
This truce thus provides not only temporary economic relief but also a moment of clarity, spotlighting the relentless drive of both superpowers toward long-term technological supremacy.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperium. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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