empress

[ em-pris ]

noun

1. a female ruler of an empire.
2. the consort of an emperor.

empress

/ ˈɛmprɪs /

noun

1. the wife or widow of an emperor
2. a woman who holds the rank of emperor in her own right
3. a woman of great power and influence

Gender Note

See -ess.

Word History and Origins

Origin of empress¹

1125–75; Middle English emperice, emperesse < Anglo-French; Old French emperesse, empereriz < Latin imperātrīcem, accusative of imperātrix, feminine of imperātor. See emperor, -trix

Word History and Origins

Origin of empress¹

C12: from Old French empereriz, from Latin imperātrix feminine of imperātor emperor

Example Sentences

Concerned viewers of Thai drama "The Empress of Ayodhaya" questioned what was done to the animal to make its performance so convincing, with some suggesting potential mistreatment.

From BBC

"The Empress of Ayodhaya" tells a story about royal tensions in the Ayutthaya period, inspired by the story of a 16th century Siamese queen.

From BBC

Underscoring her global fame, Britain's King Charles wished her a happy birthday during the state visit to the UK by Japan's Emperor and Empress in June.

From BBC

Her climb from lifestyle author to homemaking empress, along with her fall and brief imprisonment, spawned endless special reports, gossip columns, parodies, and unauthorized biographies both serious and salacious.

From Salon

Any delight or inspiration Milioti’s gangland empress makes us feel is a natural response to our fatigue at this point in a campaign cycle leading up to an election that will double as a referendum on gender.

From Salon