imperial
1 of 2adjective
im·pe·ri·al im-ˈpir-ē-əl 
1
a
: of, relating to, befitting, or suggestive of an empire or an emperor
b(1)
: of or relating to the United Kingdom as distinguished from the constituent parts
(2)
: of or relating to the Commonwealth of Nations and British Empire
2
a
: sovereign
b
: regal, imperious
3
: of superior or unusual size or excellence
4
: belonging to the official British series of weights and measures see Weights and Measures Table
imperially
im-ˈpir-ē-ə-lē
adverb imperial
2 of 2noun
1
capitalized : an adherent or soldier of the Holy Roman emperor
2
: emperor
3
: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip
4
: something of unusual size or excellence
Synonyms
Adjective
- august
- baronial
- epic
- gallant
- glorious
- grand
- grandiose
- heroic
- heroical
- Homeric
- imposing
- magnific
- magnificent
- majestic
- massive
- monumental
- noble
- proud
- regal
- royal
- splendid
- stately
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective a member of the imperial family envisioned an imperial city that would rival the capitals of Europe for beauty and magnificence
Recent Examples on the Web
Marc Bona, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2022 The Eastern Front, where Germany and Austria-Hungary faced imperial Russia, involved relatively more movement, partly because of different geography. Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Africans were a commonplace oddity in imperial Russia. Jennifer Wilson, The New York Review of Books, 3 Aug. 2022 Both imperial Russia and the former Soviet Union encouraged citizens to settle border regions, so today at least 20% of the population of Ukraine is ethnic Russian. John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2022 Hind Sebti was born and raised in the imperial city of Meknes, and brings her love for Morocco and its sensory healing traditions to her skin-care brand Whind. Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2021 Despite its cultural significance to the Inca imperial city, the artifact itself has remained conspicuously absent from Cusco. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2021 Its rich history revolves around its role as a bustling imperial port city. Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2020 But many Europeans are no longer interested in being sensitive to a figure like Putin or tolerating his revanchist resentments and neo-imperial ambitions. Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2022 Ellen Feingold, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2022 Intentionally or not, Nichols’s imagery shows us that the intimate and the imperial in the American West were one and the same. Sarah Blackwood, The New Yorker, 18 July 2021 Stouts, porters and imperials are also staples in winter and mainstays on craft beer menus. Dahlia Ghabour, The Courier-Journal, 9 Dec. 2019 The seasoning is a must for steamed crabs and perfect for crab cakes, crab imperials, and the like. Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, 12 May 2017 See More
Adjective
Blackout Stout, the famed imperial stout from Great Lakes Brewing Co. that marks the infamous 2003 blackout across a huge part of the United States, is set to be released next month. Marc Bona, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2022 The Eastern Front, where Germany and Austria-Hungary faced imperial Russia, involved relatively more movement, partly because of different geography. Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Africans were a commonplace oddity in imperial Russia. Jennifer Wilson, The New York Review of Books, 3 Aug. 2022 Both imperial Russia and the former Soviet Union encouraged citizens to settle border regions, so today at least 20% of the population of Ukraine is ethnic Russian. John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2022 Hind Sebti was born and raised in the imperial city of Meknes, and brings her love for Morocco and its sensory healing traditions to her skin-care brand Whind. Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2021 Despite its cultural significance to the Inca imperial city, the artifact itself has remained conspicuously absent from Cusco. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2021 Its rich history revolves around its role as a bustling imperial port city. Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2020 But many Europeans are no longer interested in being sensitive to a figure like Putin or tolerating his revanchist resentments and neo-imperial ambitions. Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2022 Noun
When gathered together, the medieval with the modern, the national with the imperial, and the abundant with the rare, these diverse monetary objects provide a bird’s-eye view of the last millennia. Ellen Feingold, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2022 Intentionally or not, Nichols’s imagery shows us that the intimate and the imperial in the American West were one and the same. Sarah Blackwood, The New Yorker, 18 July 2021 Stouts, porters and imperials are also staples in winter and mainstays on craft beer menus. Dahlia Ghabour, The Courier-Journal, 9 Dec. 2019 The seasoning is a must for steamed crabs and perfect for crab cakes, crab imperials, and the like. Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, 12 May 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English imperial, emperiall, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French emperial, imperiall, borrowed from Latin imperiālis "of the Roman emperor," from imperium "supreme administrative authority, power exercised by a Roman emperor" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at empire
Noun
derivative of imperial entry 1, probably after Middle French imperiaux (plural); (sense 3) translation of French impériale
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
circa 1524, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing imperial
Kids Definition
imperial
adjective
im·pe·ri·al im-ˈpir-ē-əl
: of or relating to an empire or its ruler
the imperial palace
imperials
noun
as in plums
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- plums
- treasures
- diamonds
- gems
- jewels
- crown jewels
- pearls
- phenomena
- prodigies
- peaches
- pippins
- dillies
- dandies
- wonders
- pips
- beauts
- rippers
- hummers
- beauties
- marvels
- snorters
- sensations
- daisies
- catches
- corkers
- crackerjacks
- hot stuff
- humdingers
- doozers
- dreams
- phenomenons
- standouts
- sweethearts
- honeys
- doozies
- crackajacks
- sockdologers
- ripsnorters
- lulus
- lollapaloozas
- bee's knees
- nifties
- sockdolagers
- knockouts
- jim-dandies
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- losers
- lemons
- failures
- busts
- turkeys
- disappointments
- duds
- stinkers
- flops
- letdowns