- a group of countries or states that are controlled by one leader or government
- These invasions almost led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Extra ExamplesTopics Historyb2- By now Britain had lost its empire.
- The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled.
- The mighty empire finally crumbled.
- a country that is still part of the empire
- the decline of the old colonial empires
- The Ottoman Empire began to decline in the late eighteenth century.
- The story describes the growth of the vast empire of Alexander the Great.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- great
- large
- …
- establish
- found
- destroy
- …
- grow
- collapse
- crumble
- …
- building
- builder
- the break-up of an empire
- the decline of an empire
- the fall of an empire
- …
- a group of commercial organizations controlled by one person or company
- He has built a huge business empire from humble beginnings.
- the staff who help run his hotel empire
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- huge
- large
- …
- build
- build up
- create
- …
- collapse
- crumble
- the collapse of an empire
- an area of activity controlled by one person or group
- All the bureaucrats jealously guarded their own little empires.
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin imperium, related to imperare ‘to command’, from in- ‘towards’ + parare ‘prepare, contrive’.
Check pronunciation:
empire