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
-
Then comes along Hail Project Mary to upend the prevailing theory that the multiplex has become the dominion of sequels, threequels and endless franchise installments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Many key figures were associated with a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which aims to establish Christian dominion over American society and government.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since dark energy rose to domination, however, the opposite is true.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Us senior surfers need to stick together to hold off the hordes of nasty agro kidbots that are violently intent on world domination and the spread of nuclear surf rabies and mad Red Bull disease.—
Corky Carroll,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tehran rejected the list and presented a five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Iran rejected the offer and presented its own five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yet extreme geographic concentration – particularly China’s dominance of processing, accounting for 70% of refining on average across 19 of 20 strategic minerals – poses systemic risks that were brought into sharp relief by Beijing’s 2025 export controls on rare earths, gallium, and germanium.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
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After years of disinflationary pressures from globalization, productivity improvements, and technological efficiency gains— particularly in the US oil and gas business — the energy component of the consumer price index is reasserting dominance in a negative way.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Oman has close relations to Tehran, only two Gulf states recognize Israel, and competition between GCC members over supremacy on certain issues is fierce.—
Hadley Gamble,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Forget scientific exploration under the seas; this is a story about the half-shark son of Marko named Sharko, dolphin supremacy, and a look at Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal that makes the cannibalistic horror of the 300-year-old satire feel brand new.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperium. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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