Empire

ˈɛmpaɪər

nounmedium📊CommonOrganization
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A large territory consisting of many countries or regions, usually ruled by a single emperor or government.

ˈɛmpaɪər

nounneutralmedium
Organization

A group of countries or regions ruled by a single authority.

The ancient Egyptian empire was known for its advanced civilization.

💡 Simply: Imagine a super-powerful country that owns a bunch of other countries. That's an empire! Like if one school took over all the other schools in the city and told them what to do, it'd be a school empire!

👶 For kids: A group of countries that are ruled by one person or government.

More Examples

2

The rise and fall of empires is a recurring theme in history.

3

The emperor expanded his empire through military conquest.

How It's Used

History

"The Roman Empire controlled a vast territory spanning across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East."

Politics

"The British Empire once controlled a significant portion of the globe."

2

A large business or group of businesses under common control, often with a dominant market share.

ˈɛmpaɪər

nounneutralmedium
Organization

A large commercial organization, often involving a number of related businesses.

The tech giant established an empire in the software market.

💡 Simply: Imagine a company that grows and grows, like it buys other companies and becomes really, really big. It's like they're building their own business empire!

👶 For kids: A big, successful company or group of companies.

More Examples

2

He dedicated his life to building a real estate empire.

3

She inherited an empire of retail stores.

How It's Used

Business

"The company built an empire in the food industry through strategic acquisitions."

Finance

"The media empire controlled several television channels and newspapers."

Tip:Think of a successful business that expands and grows significantly.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

empire-building

The expansion of an organization or business, often at the expense of others.

"The company's empire-building strategy involved acquiring smaller competitors."

From Old French *empire* and Latin *imperium*, meaning 'command', 'rule', or 'sovereignty'. It originally referred to the supreme authority of a ruler.

Historically used to describe large political territories ruled by emperors or monarchs. The term is found in classical literature and has been used throughout history to denote territorial dominance and control.

Memory tip

Think of a powerful group with a big ruler.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"command, rule, sovereignty"

ancient empirevast empireglobal empirecommercial empirebusiness empire

Common misspellings

emperieempier

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written