imperialim‧pe‧ri‧al /ɪmˈpɪəriəl $ -ˈpɪr-/ adjective [only before noun] 
Word Origin
Britain’s imperial expansion in the 19th century2relating to the system of weights and measurements based on pounds, inches, miles etc
Word OriginWORD ORIGINimperial
ExamplesOrigin:
1300-1400 French, Late Latin imperialis, from Latin imperium ‘command, empire’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
word sets- History is full of attempts at imperial domination.
- the imperial jewels
- But he would not break with tradition, for he knew that innovation would bring down his imperial structure.
- Perhaps the sight of his footlocker had provoked her-a white man moving in to bombard the local ovaries with blue-eyed imperial genes.
- Second, it shows how in antiquity an absolute imperial monarch used the arts to bolster his rule.
- The second, the Code, consisted of the imperial constitutions and edicts.
- Those who favour a depiction of the fortunes of the imperial house have to reckon with the difficulty of recognising Augustus.
- Unlike many of his time Charlemagne had the skill of writing, as in his imperial signature on a document dated 775.
- Without a territorial base the papacy could not be independent of imperial and other influences.
WORD SETS► Government
Collocationsabsolutism, nounadministration, nounagency, nounagent, nounagent provocateur, nounalderman, nounally, nounassembly, nounautarchy, nounautocracy, nounautocrat, nounautonomous, adjectiveautonomy, nounban, nounbaron, nounbig government, nounbilateral, adjectivebody politic, nounbudget, nounbureau, nounbureaucracy, nouncabinet, nouncaliphate, nouncanton, nouncanvass, verbcapital, nouncapitalist, nounCapitol Hill, nounCBE, nouncede, verbcentral, adjectivecentral government, nouncentralism, nouncentralize, verbchancellery, nounchancery, nouncharter, nouncharter, verbchief, nounCIA, the, city hall, nouncity-state, nounclient state, nounCo., coalition, nouncold war, nouncolonial, adjectivecolonial, nouncolonialism, nouncolonize, verbcolony, nouncommissioner, nouncommune, nounconsort, nounconstitution, nounconstitutional, adjectiveconstitutionality, nounconvention, nouncoronation, nouncount, nouncounterintelligence, nouncountess, nouncounty, nouncounty council, noundecolonize, verbdemocracy, noundemocratic, adjectivedependency, noundespotism, noundétente, noundethrone, verbdevolution, noundictatorial, adjectivedictatorship, noundiplomacy, noundiplomatic immunity, noundirective, noundisinformation, noundispatch, noundispensation, noundissent, verbdistrict council, noundocumentation, nounDOD, dominion, nounDowning Street, noundynasty, nounearl, nounearldom, nounempire, nounEuro, adjectiveEurope, nounexecutive, nounexecutive privilege, nounfall, verbfall, nounfederalism, nounfeudal, adjectivefeudalism, nounfeudalistic, adjectivegazette, nounhead of state, nounhigh commission, nounimperial, adjectiveindependence, nounindependent, adjectiveinfrastructure, nouninstigate, verbinsurgent, nouninsurrection, nounintelligence, nouninternal, adjectivejunket, nounjunta, nounkingdom, nounkingship, nounkitchen cabinet, nounland office, nounland registry, nounlegation, nounlegislature, nounlicensed, adjectivelocal authority, nounlocal government, nounmaharajah, nounmaharani, nounmandate, nounmandated, adjectivemartial law, nounMBE, nounmeasure, nounmidterm, nounministry, nounminority government, nounmisrule, nounmonarchy, nounmonolith, nounmonolithic, adjectivemoratorium, nounmouthpiece, nounmove, verbmover, nounmunicipal, adjectivemunicipality, nounNASA, nounnational, adjectivenational debt, nounNational Health Service, the, nationalize, verbnational monument, nounnation state, nounNATO, nounneocolonialism, nounneutral, adjectiveneutral, nounneutralize, verbnon-aligned, adjectivenon-intervention, nounnon-proliferation, noun-ocracy, suffix-ocrat, suffixofficiate, verboligarchy, nounoperational, adjectiveoperative, nounoverthrow, verboverthrow, nounoverturn, verbpacify, verbpact, nounpalatinate, nounpardon, nounparish, nounpartition, nounpass, verbpeer, nounpeer, verbpeerage, nounpeeress, nounpermit, nounplenary, adjectiveplutocracy, nounpolice state, nounpolitburo, nounpolitical science, nounpolity, nounpork, nounpork barrel, nounportfolio, nounpossession, nounprecinct, nounprefecture, nounpremiership, nounpresidium, nounprotectorate, nounpublic, adjectivepublic service, nounquota, nounR, ratify, verbrealm, nounrecall, nounrecognition, nounrecognize, verbregency, nounregent, nounregime, nounregister, nounregulation, nounrelease, nounrepeal, verbrepresentative, nounrepressive, adjectiverepublic, nounrepublican, adjectiverescind, verbreunify, verbrevoke, verbrising, nounroyalist, nounruling, adjectivesanction, nounseat, nounsecret agent, nounsecurity service, nounself-governing, adjectiveself-rule, nounsheikh, nounshire, nounsocial democracy, nounsocialist, adjectivesocial service, nounsovereign, adjectivesovereignty, nounspin doctor, nounstaff, nounstate, nounstatehood, nounStatehouse, nounstate line, nounstate of emergency, nounstatewide, adjectivesubject, adjectivesubject, verbsultanate, nounsummit, nounsuperpower, nounsuppress, verbsupranational, adjectivesurgery, nounsuzerainty, nountechnocracy, nounterritory, nounthrone, nountopple, verbtotalitarian, adjectivetown planning, nountownship, nountransit visa, nountreaty, nountribalism, nountripartite, adjectivetrusteeship, nountsarism, nountyrant, nountzarism, noununconstitutional, adjectiveunification, noununify, verbunilateral, adjectiveunion, nounUnion Jack, nounvassal, nounVIP, nounviscount, nounviscountess, nounwelfare state, nounWhitehall, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► army
1relating to an empire or to the person who rules it: · It was a long and bitter struggle with great losses on both sides, causing a serious weakening of the imperial army.
► authority· Only in one remote, unnoticed, and unreported area did imperial authority ring out with any confidence.· Outfitted in his regal trappings, he would symbolize imperial authority.· The imperial authorities fully exploited and sometimes overstepped their constitutional powers: there were imperial laws for everything.· Without imperial authority to reinforce its moral precepts, it increasingly relied on high-minded exhortation.· Prussian authorities party took over the function of imperial authorities.
► capital· This station was consciously designed to match the pretensions of a baroque imperial capital.· Towns in the pre-Tokugawa years had, except for Kyoto the imperial capital, been fairly small scale.· The city of Kyoto, the imperial capital, lies surrounded by hills and is frequently bathed in mists.
► city· In 1212 it received the charter of a free imperial city.· The residence of the pope in an ancient imperial city had from the first been fragile.
► court· He has retained his post at the imperial court in Hue.· Assorted armed groups emerged during the nineteenth century, some encouraged by the imperial court, others fighting on their own.· The sack of Rome in 410 marked the most hostile period in the relations between Alaric and the imperial court.· His interests lay in power in the imperial court not in the papal court.
► expansion· It was avid for imperial expansion, and the majority of its citizens wanted to get rich.· Democracy died after a period of incessant wars, imperial expansion abroad, and the rise of demagoguery at home.
► family· Instruments of torture feature somewhat incongruously alongside porcelain, glassware and fans owned by members of the imperial family.· Hirohito's death in 1989 brought more open attitudes by the imperial family.· The portraits were arranged to form a three-dimensional family tree, and to suggest links with the imperial family in Rome.· The imperial family, steeped in Shinto ritual, appeals to the traditionalist and nationalist markets.· The imperial family is doing its best to put its stamp on the future princess.
► palace· From an early date the imperial palaces at Constantinople incorporated decorative schemes that emphasized and glorified imperial power and dominion.· When we drive by the front of her property, some one points out where the imperial palace once stood.· The remains of Barbarossa's imperial palace at Gelnhausen.· A sophisticated technology brought running water into private homes, public bathhouses and imperial palaces.
► policy· Supremacy among them and the effective direction of imperial policy belonged to Prussia; the king of Prussia was Emperor.
► power· The imperial powers had two main interests on the island: keeping down insurrection and importing its rice and sugar.· In a stunning display of imperial power, he once announced that fabric from Dijon would contain 1, 408 threads!· From an early date the imperial palaces at Constantinople incorporated decorative schemes that emphasized and glorified imperial power and dominion.· The argument that an imperial power needed physically strong and virile rulers convinced many female anti-suffragists.· His new wife was Beatrice of Burgundy, and the marriage was part of the complex Second Plan to strengthen imperial power.· At the height of imperial power, exclusivity was rigidly applied.· It is worth recalling that even at the height of Britain's imperial power we rarely tried to go it alone.· From early times the papacy had allied with the imperial power to condemn the unorthodox.
► rule· These disciplines were to prove an index of the strength of imperial rule.
► system· Great imperial systems propelled by steam have broken down into a myriad nationalities propelled by the internal-combustion engine and oil.· From the twelfth century onwards, this imperial system col-lapsed.· Where a great imperial system survives, as in the Soviet Union, the railways retain some semblance of their former power.· The international network, at least for the Western imperial system, added a long ocean voyage between two rail journeys.
Britain’s imperial expansion in the 19th century2relating to the system of weights and measurements based on pounds, inches, miles etc