conquest
/ˈkɒŋkwɛst
/noun [mass noun]
1The subjugation and assumption of control of a place or people by military force: the conquest of the Aztecs by the Spanish...
- Recent history, however, suggests the existence of many relevant uses of military force besides conquest or even coercion.
- The use of military force for conquest and expansion is a security strategy that most leaders reject in this age of complex interdependence and globalization.
- Thus, one may question the legitimacy of subsequent wars of conquest, military campaigns to subjugate and plunder peoples, and battles to gain territory.
Synonyms
defeat, beating, conquering, vanquishment, vanquishing, trouncing, annihilation, overpowering, overthrow, subduing, subjugation, rout, mastery, crushing;
victory (over), triumph (over)
informal hammering, clobbering, thrashing, drubbing, caning, murder, massacre
seizure, seizing, takeover, acquisition, gain, appropriation, subjugation, subjection, capture, occupation, invasion, annexation, overrunning
1.1 [count noun] A territory which has been subjugated by military force: colonial conquests...
- The next day we headed to the gay Beach Number 7, which was marked like a territorial conquest with a huge rainbow flag flapping in the breeze.
- He added new lands to old and carefully consolidated his conquests by founding Greek cities abroad.
- The scale and rapidity of the German advance into Russia, coming on top of earlier conquests, posed obvious administrative problems for the conquerors.
1.2 (the Conquest) The invasion and assumption of control of England by William of Normandy in 1066.
1.3The overcoming of a problem or weakness: the conquest of inflation...
- These are among the reasons why the conquest of poverty has become the overarching Millennium goal of the United Nations.
- It pledged to make the conquest of poverty, achieve the goal of full employment and foster social integration, prevailing over objectives of development.
- But the conquest of hunger and malnutrition requires additional links in the food chain.
1.4The successful ascent of a mountain, especially one not previously climbed: the conquest of Everest...
- His film will commemorate the golden jubilee of Tensing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary's conquest of Mt. Everest.
- It involves the conquest of the summit, followed by some kind of mishap that leaves the two buddies stranded in a snowstorm, hopefully with no food and at least one broken limb, while winter approaches, rescue is impossible, and the only choice is between one person dying, and two.
- After the conquest of the summit, many meters of ropes were left on the way and when a Japanese expedition attempted the climb again in 1977, they found and used the fixed ropes left there 22 years before: those red striped nylon braids were still in perfect condition.
Synonyms
ascent, climbing, scaling
1.5 [count noun] A person whose affection or favour has been won: she was someone he could display before his friends as his latest conquest...
- For example, let's see some equal time given to the sexual conquests of young females at the box office.
- Sexuality and sexual conquest, after all, can be experienced by men as humiliating and stressful as well as thrilling.
- He had no real love for her, but considered her a conquest unlike most other women.
Synonyms
catch, acquisition, captive, prize, slave;
admirer, fan, worshipper;
lover, love, boyfriend, girlfriend
informal fancy man, fancy woman, toy boy, sugar daddy, a notch on someone's bedpost
literary swain
archaic gallant, paramour, leman
Phrases
make a conquest of
Origin
Middle English: from Old French conquest(e), based on Latin conquirere (see conquer).