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emperor

American  
[em-per-er] / ˈɛm pər ər /

noun

  1. the male sovereign or supreme ruler of an empire.

    the emperors of Rome.

  2. Chiefly British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 48 × 72 inches (122 × 183 centimeters).

emperor British  
/ ˈɛmpərə /

noun

  1. a monarch who rules or reigns over an empire

  2. Also called: emperor moth.  any of several large saturniid moths with eyelike markings on each wing, esp Saturnia pavonia of Europe See also giant peacock moth

  3. See purple emperor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • emperorship noun
  • preemperor noun

Etymology

Origin of emperor

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English empero(u)r, (from Anglo-French; Old French empereor, from Latin imperātor, originally, “one who gives orders, ruler,” equivalent to imperā(re) “to order, command” ( im- “in” + -perāre, combining form of parāre “to provide, get ready” ) + -tor noun suffix of agency; im- 1, prepare, -tor

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"One can really picture the emperor in his final years."

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Driven by rumors of Severus’ impending death, some bored soldiers proclaimed one of his brutish sons as their emperor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Paul Atreides, played by Chalamet, is dealing with the consequences of defeating the Harkonnens and becoming emperor, struggling with his role as the Fremen’s messiah.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Many species, including polar bears in the Arctic and emperor penguins in Antarctica, rely on sea ice to breed and feed.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

“And Yanna also said the emperor is out there too.”

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.