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
Everyone in the imperium knows the emperor is a nincompoop—and yet no one wants to go out on a limb to criticize him.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
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
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
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperium
Noun
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This was clearly outside the purview of the colonizer, who saw land as a resource held under his dominion.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Apr. 2026
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For China, bringing Taiwan under its dominion would break through that barrier and expand its military reach.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The final game of Ethan Wachsmann’s sophomore season was the messy prelude to complete domination.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
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Nelly Korda continued her domination of the LPGA this year with a win at the Riviera Maya Open yesterday.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Allegations of sovereignty violations, civilian casualties, and lack of due process have prompted debates about the legality and morality of drone warfare under international humanitarian law.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
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Ties strained Relations between Britain and China have been strained since a national security crackdown on sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 in Hong Kong, which was under British rule for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty almost three decades ago.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
On almost any other night, being without Town’s playmaking or Robinson’s rim protection and rebounding dominance would tank the Knicks.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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Scaling up for ‘energy dominance’ Apart from becoming the preeminent pipeline player, Enbridge is the fourth-largest Canadian company by market cap, trailing Shopify.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Noun
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To make matters worse, the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card in mid-2016 posed a big threat to the supremacy of the Platinum Card, then sorely in need of a refresh.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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The Southern Poverty Law Center stands accused of contributing millions of dollars to white-supremacy groups, including the KKK and Nazis.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperium. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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