From Middle English empire, from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium ("command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire"), from imperare, inperare ("to command, order"), from in ("in, on") + parare ("to make ready, order").

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ĕmʹpīə, ĕmʹpī-ə, IPA: /ˈɛm.paɪ̯ə̯/, /ˈɛm.paɪ̯.ə/
• (General American) enPR: ĕmʹpīr', ĕmʹpī'ər, IPA: /ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɹ/, /ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɚ/

empire (plural empires)

1. A political state, often a monarchy, that has achieved a much greater current size than its initial size by conquering surrounding territories, cities or nations.

   the Russian empire

2. A political unit ruled by an emperor or empress.

   The Empire of Vietnam was a short-lived client state of Japan governing Vietnam between March 11 and August 23, 1945.

3. The group of states or other territories that owe allegiance to an imperial power (foreign to them), when distinguished from the native territory of that power; imperial possessions.
4. An expansive and powerful enterprise under the control of one person or group.

   the McDonald's fast food empire

5. (Absolute) control, dominion, sway.
   • 1881, François Guizot, The History of Civilization from the Fall of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution..., page 122:

     The brutality, the unthinking, the unreflecting character of the barbarians were so great, that the new faith, the new feelings with which they had been inspired, exercised but a very slight empire over them.

• emperor
• empress
• imperate
• imperation

• imperator
• imperatrix
• imperial
• imperially
• imperium

• French: empire
• German: Reich, Imperium, Kaiserreich
• Italian: impero
• Portuguese: império
• Russian: импе́рия
• Spanish: imperio

• French: empire
• German: Kaiserreich, Kaisertum
• Italian: impero
• Portuguese: império
• Russian: импе́рия
• Spanish: imperio

• German: Weltreich, Imperium
• Portuguese: império
• Russian: импе́рия
• Spanish: imperio

• Portuguese: império
• Russian: импе́рия

empire (not comparable)

1. Alternative case form of Empire.

See empire.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɛmpaɪə/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɛmpaɪɚ/

empire (not comparable)

1. (fashion, furniture, art) Following or imitating a style popular during the First French Empire (1804–1814).
   1. (of a woman's dress) Having the waistline just below the bust; featuring an empire waist.
2. (Britain, dated, of wine) Produced in a dependency of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations.

1. A number of places in USA:
   1. An ucomm in Walker County, Alabama.
   2. An ucomm in Chicot County, Arkansas.
   3. CDP in Stanislaus County, California.
   4. A town in Clear Creek County, Colorado, named after the Empire State.
   5. CDP and former town in Dodge County.
   6. An ucomm and coal town in Christian County.
   7. CDP in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
   8. A twp/and/village therein, in Leelanau County.
   9. An ucomm in Butler County, Missouri.
   10. CDP in Washoe County, Nevada.
   11. A village in Knox, Jefferson County.
   12. A district in Coos Bay, Coos County.
   13. A town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.
   14. A former community in Goshen County, Wyoming.
   15. A number of other townships, listed under Empire Township.