as in dominion
controlling power or influence over others
a nation whose economic imperium waned after the war
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Recent Examples of imperium
But our failure to anticipate this most recent spark of dissent is perhaps more understandable; after all, as Xi’s one-party Leninist imperium has gathered momentum, most foreign journalists have been expelled from China.
—
Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2022
Even the Commonwealth—long a convenient way to sustain a more symbolic form of cultural imperium—has lost much of its meaning.
—Fintan O’Toole, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2023
Playing that particular Neil Young tune to represent the American imperium was an insidious selection.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2024
Poland, through a protest movement, led the liberation of Europe from the Soviet imperium, culminating with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 5 May 2024
But unlike the familiar realm of the Caesars, this imperium doesn’t govern only humans: Talking beasts also live as citizens in the empire.
—Liz Braswell, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2023
Many people in what was formerly East Germany, part of the Soviet imperium until shortly before German unification in 1990, look favorably on Moscow.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Firstly, the struggle of Czech writers (within a German-speaking imperium) to transform their little vernacular into a language of literary distinction.
—Jared Marcel Pollen, The New Republic, 12 July 2023
In Poland — a nation held captive in the totalitarian Soviet imperium for decades before leading the struggle to break those chains and rejoin Europe — ideas of heroism and sacrifice endured.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023
Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2022
Even the Commonwealth—long a convenient way to sustain a more symbolic form of cultural imperium—has lost much of its meaning.
—Fintan O’Toole, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2023
Playing that particular Neil Young tune to represent the American imperium was an insidious selection.
—Armond White, National Review, 17 May 2024
Poland, through a protest movement, led the liberation of Europe from the Soviet imperium, culminating with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 5 May 2024
But unlike the familiar realm of the Caesars, this imperium doesn’t govern only humans: Talking beasts also live as citizens in the empire.
—Liz Braswell, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2023
Many people in what was formerly East Germany, part of the Soviet imperium until shortly before German unification in 1990, look favorably on Moscow.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Firstly, the struggle of Czech writers (within a German-speaking imperium) to transform their little vernacular into a language of literary distinction.
—Jared Marcel Pollen, The New Republic, 12 July 2023
In Poland — a nation held captive in the totalitarian Soviet imperium for decades before leading the struggle to break those chains and rejoin Europe — ideas of heroism and sacrifice endured.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperium
Noun
-
The next generation of Kardashians will soon enough inherit the dynasty’s now quieter cultural dominion, despite the media’s relentless transmutation, because the family has become powerful enough to run on autopilot.—
M. J. Corey,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
-
The region was once home to the Samnites, an ancient Italic warrior people that fought the Romans for dominion before Rome became an empire.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Will the domination over the Carolina Hurricanes remain?—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2025
-
Augustine was concerned about the human lust for domination, and how leaders and institutions needed to work to put boundaries on unchecked power.—
Ruth Graham,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Reliance on China China’s dominance in the global drug supply chain is part and parcel of its position as the world’s factory.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
-
In the future, another language – or no language at all – might rise to dominance.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
But Ukraine accuses Russia of seeking to seize control of the country and remove its sovereignty in an imperial war of aggression.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
-
Today, the insurgency has weakened, but an external threat looms larger and larger: steady Chinese encroachment on Philippine maritime rights and sovereignty, primarily in the South China Sea.—
ELY RATNER,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
In recent years, Beijing and Washington have been vying for supremacy in AI technology that could confer the winner advantages in economic productivity, scientific breakthroughs and national security.—
Amy Gunia,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
-
This truce thus provides not only temporary economic relief but also a moment of clarity, spotlighting the relentless drive of both superpowers toward long-term technological supremacy.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperium. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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