# empire
## English
### Etymology

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”). Doublet of empery and imperium.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ĕmʹpīə, ĕmʹpī-ə, IPA: /ˈɛm.paɪ̯ə̯/, /ˈɛm.paɪ̯.ə/
* (General American) enPR: ĕmʹpīr', ĕmʹpī'ər, IPA: /ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɹ/, /ˈɛmˌpaɪ̯ɚ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
* Hyphenation: em‧pire

### Noun

empire (plural empires)
* 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
** 2022 February 7, Charles Hugh Smith, How Empires Die‎:States and empires fail when they are no longer the solution, they are the problem.
* 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.
* 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.
** 2001 August 2, P. J. Marshall, The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 105:British people [...] continued to believe in empire. It was what gave Britain a unique role in the world, and in return Britain had drawn strength from its empire to enable it to survive two great wars that had wrecked so many of its competitors. Imperial management in the twentieth […]
** 2021 April 13, Daniel Verdier, Democracy and International Trade: Britain, France, and the United States, 1860-1990, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 139:Since Britain imported mainly foodstuffs from its empire, no preferences could be granted to the colonies without Britain first imposing a tariff on foodstuffs imported from other countries.
* An expansive and powerful enterprise under the control of one person or group.
    the McDonald's fast food empire
** 2002, Evelyn L. Damore, The Rattle and Hiss of the Tin Gods, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 111:“Revenues for Jackson's non-profit empire sky-rocketed from $4 million in 1997, to more than $14 million just two years later.”
** 2009, Martin Short, The Rise of the Mafia, Kings Road Publishing, →ISBN:The Mafia never forgave Castro but Lansky had already laid the foundations of a mob gambling empire all over the Caribbean […]
* (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.
** 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 1:With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.
** 2010, Stefania Tutino, Empire of Souls: Robert Bellarmine and the Christian Commonwealth, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 270:[…] could gain some political strength for the pope, but in so doing the pope would lose the uniqueness and supremacy of his empire over souls: […]

#### Derived terms

* Achaemenid Empire
* Akkadian Empire
* American Empire
* antiempire
* Austrian Empire
* Austrian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire
* Aztec Empire
* British Empire
* Byzantine Empire
* Celestial Empire
* Central African Empire
* Chinese Empire
* colonial empire
* Eastern Roman Empire
* empire-building
* Empire-grown
* empirehood
* empire line
* Empire of China
* Empire of Japan
* Empire of Manchuria
* Empire State
* empire-waisted
* empire waist, empire-waist
* Fifth Empire
* First Empire, First French Empire
* First French Empire
* French colonial empire
* German Empire
* global empire
* Graveyard of Empires
* gunpowder empire
* Gupta Empire
* Holy Roman Empire, Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
* Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
* Hunnic Empire
* Inca Empire
* Inland Empire
* interempire
* Japanese Empire
* Korean Empire
* Maratha Empire
* maritime empire
* miniempire
* Mongol Empire, Mongolian Empire
* Mughal Empire
* New Empire
* Norwegian Empire
* Omani Empire
* Orange Empire
* Ottoman Empire
* Parthian Empire
* Persian Empire
* Portuguese Empire
* Roman Empire
* Russian Empire
* Second Empire, Second French Empire
* Seleucid Empire
* Sikh Empire
* Songhai Empire
* Soviet empire
* Spanish Empire
* subempire
* Swedish Empire
* Western Roman Empire

#### Related terms

* emperor
* empress
* imperate
* imperation
* imperator
* imperatrix
* imperial
* imperially
* imperium

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Adjective

empire (not comparable)
* Alternative letter-case form of Empire.

### Further reading

* “empire”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “empire”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “empire”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

### Anagrams

* E-Prime, epimer, permie, premie

## Finnish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈempire/, [ˈe̞mpire̞]
* Rhymes: -empire
* Hyphenation: em‧pi‧re

### Noun

empire
* (art) Ellipsis of empiretyyli (“Empire style”).

#### Declension

Possessive forms of empire (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
empireni
empireni
accusative
nom.
empireni
empireni
gen.
empireni
genitive
empireni
empirejeni empireini $^{rare}$
partitive
empireäni
empirejäni
inessive
empiressäni
empireissäni
elative
empirestäni
empireistäni
illative
empireeni
empireihini
adessive
empirelläni
empireilläni
ablative
empireltäni
empireiltäni
allative
empirelleni
empireilleni
essive
empirenäni
empireinäni
translative
empirekseni
empireikseni
abessive
empirettäni
empireittäni
instructive
comitative
—empireineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
empiresi
empiresi
accusative
nom.
empiresi
empiresi
gen.
empiresi
genitive
empiresi
empirejesi empireisi $^{rare}$
partitive
empireäsi
empirejäsi
inessive
empiressäsi
empireissäsi
elative
empirestäsi
empireistäsi
illative
empireesi
empireihisi
adessive
empirelläsi
empireilläsi
ablative
empireltäsi
empireiltäsi
allative
empirellesi
empireillesi
essive
empirenäsi
empireinäsi
translative
empireksesi
empireiksesi
abessive
empirettäsi
empireittäsi
instructive
comitative
—empireinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
empiremme
empiremme
accusative
nom.
empiremme
empiremme
gen.
empiremme
genitive
empiremme
empirejemme empireimme $^{rare}$
partitive
empireämme
empirejämme
inessive
empiressämme
empireissämme
elative
empirestämme
empireistämme
illative
empireemme
empireihimme
adessive
empirellämme
empireillämme
ablative
empireltämme
empireiltämme
allative
empirellemme
empireillemme
essive
empirenämme
empireinämme
translative
empireksemme
empireiksemme
abessive
empirettämme
empireittämme
instructive
comitative
—empireinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
empirenne
empirenne
accusative
nom.
empirenne
empirenne
gen.
empirenne
genitive
empirenne
empirejenne empireinne $^{rare}$
partitive
empireänne
empirejänne
inessive
empiressänne
empireissänne
elative
empirestänne
empireistänne
illative
empireenne
empireihinne
adessive
empirellänne
empireillänne
ablative
empireltänne
empireiltänne
allative
empirellenne
empireillenne
essive
empirenänne
empireinänne
translative
empireksenne
empireiksenne
abessive
empirettänne
empireittänne
instructive
comitative
—empireinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
empirensä
empirensä
accusative
nom.
empirensä
empirensä
gen.
empirensä
genitive
empirensä
empirejensä empireinsä $^{rare}$
partitive
empireään empireänsä
empirejään empirejänsä
inessive
empiressään empiressänsä
empireissään empireissänsä
elative
empirestään empirestänsä
empireistään empireistänsä
illative
empireensä
empireihinsä
adessive
empirellään empirellänsä
empireillään empireillänsä
ablative
empireltään empireltänsä
empireiltään empireiltänsä
allative
empirelleen empirellensä
empireilleen empireillensä
essive
empirenään empirenänsä
empireinään empireinänsä
translative
empirekseen empireksensä
empireikseen empireiksensä
abessive
empirettään empirettänsä
empireittään empireittänsä
instructive
comitative
—empireineen empireinensä :

#### Derived terms

* empirekaupunginosa
* empiretyyli

### Further reading

* “empire”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑ̃.piʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old French empire, from Latin imperium.

#### Noun

empire m (plural empires)
* empire
* influence, authority, dominion
** 1640, Pierre Corneille, Horace, act 4, scene 7:Quelle injustice aux Dieux, d’abandonner au femmes / Un empire si grand sur les plus belles âmesWhat injustice from the gods, to give up for women / Such great dominion over the most beautiful souls

##### Derived terms

* Céleste Empire
* Empire byzantin
* Empire des Fleurs
* Empire du Milieu
* Empire ottoman
* Empire romain
* Saint-Empire romain germanique

##### Related terms

* empereur
* impératrice
* imperial

##### Descendants

* Russian: ампи́р (ampír)

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

empire
* inflection of empirer:
** first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* “empire”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* périmé, primée

## Italian
### Alternative forms

* émpiere

### Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *implīre~*implĕre, from Latin implēre.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /emˈpi.re/
* Rhymes: -ire
* Hyphenation: em‧pì‧re

### Verb

empìre (first-person singular present émpio, first-person singular past historic empìi or (less common) empiéi, past participle empìto or (less common) empiùto, auxiliary avére) (transitive)
* (uncommon, literally) to fill [with di ‘with’]
* (figuratively) to fill, to stuff [with di ‘with’]
    empire di gioia ― to fill with joy
    empire la testa di qualcuno di chiacchiere ― to fill someone's head with chatter
* (archaic or literary) to satisfy, to satiate

#### Conjugation

$^1$Less common.

#### Synonyms

* riempire

#### Related terms

* pieno

### Anagrams

* permei, premei

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* empyre, enpyre, empyere, empere, empeyr, empir, enpir, ampyre

### Etymology

Borrowed 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”). Doublet of emperie.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɛmˈpiːr(ə)/, /ɛmˈpɛːr(ə)/, /ˈɛmpiːr(ə)/, /am-/

### Noun

empire
* Emperorship; the office, power or title of emperor.
* An empire; the domain of an emperor or empress.
* (rare) Total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods.
** c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎, published c. 1410, Apocalips 1:5-6, page 117v; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:[⁊ of iheſu criſt] þat is a feiþful witneſſe .· þe firſte bigeten of deed men · ⁊ pꝛynce of kyngis of þe erþe / which louyde vs / ⁊ waiſchide vs fro oure ſynnes in his blood .· / ⁊ made vs a kyngdom / ⁊ pꝛeſtis to god ⁊ to his fadir / to hym be gloꝛie ⁊ empire .· in to woꝛldis of woꝛldis[of Jesus Christ,] / who is a reliable witness, the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign over the rulers of the Earth, who loved us, cleansed us from our sins with his blood, / and made us a kingdom / and priests of God and his father. To him are glory and power for many ages.
* (rare) A region of control; a field or zone.
* (rare, Christianity) God's kingdom in the heavens.

#### Descendants

* English: empire
* Scots: empire

#### References

* “empīre, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-24.

## Old French
### Etymology

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”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /emˈpiɾə/, (late) /amˈpiɾə/

### Noun

empire oblique singular, m (oblique plural empires, nominative singular empires, nominative plural empire)
* empire

#### Descendants

* → Middle English: empire
** English: empire
* French: empire

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French Empire.

### Adjective

empire m or f or n (masculine plural empiri, feminine and neuter plural empire)
* (art) Empire

#### Declension
### References

* empire in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN