1
: the wife or widow of an emperor
2
: a woman who is the sovereign or supreme monarch of an empire
Examples of empress in a Sentence
the Emperor and Empress of Japan
Catherine the Great was Empress of Russia.
Recent Examples on the Web
She's successfully become the first artist to wrap herself in the essence of the culture's spirit like an empress in new clothes.
—
Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Brands relying on a single, all-powerful figure risk obsolescence when cultural winds shift, as Vogue continues to experience under an empress who seemingly only takes advice from a mirror.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Relevance Requires Evolution And An Open Mind Wintour’s disconnect from digital-native audiences shows legacy alone can’t protect relevance, particularly when she’s cultivated an environment where challenging the empress’s nudity becomes career suicide.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Suitably, the hotel pays homage to the empress in numerous ways, from a signature suite to a turndown cookie in the shape of her pet deer.—Mary Winston Nicklin
Read Afar’s full review of the Rosewood Schloss Fuschl.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empress
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Brands relying on a single, all-powerful figure risk obsolescence when cultural winds shift, as Vogue continues to experience under an empress who seemingly only takes advice from a mirror.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Relevance Requires Evolution And An Open Mind Wintour’s disconnect from digital-native audiences shows legacy alone can’t protect relevance, particularly when she’s cultivated an environment where challenging the empress’s nudity becomes career suicide.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Suitably, the hotel pays homage to the empress in numerous ways, from a signature suite to a turndown cookie in the shape of her pet deer.—Mary Winston Nicklin
Read Afar’s full review of the Rosewood Schloss Fuschl.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empress
Cite this Entry
“Empress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empress. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
empress
noun
em·press
ˈem-prəs 
1
: the wife or widow of an emperor
2
: a woman who is the ruler of an empire
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share