imperial

1 of 2

adjective

im·​pe·​ri·​al im-ˈpir-ē-əl How to pronounce imperial (audio)
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
3
a
: of superior or unusual size or excellence
b
sometimes Imperial : having a full body and a higher-than-average percentage of alcohol
an imperial stout
4
: belonging to the official British series of weights and measures see Weights and Measures Table
imperially adverb

imperial

2 of 2

noun

1
Imperial : an adherent or soldier of the Holy Roman emperor
2
3
: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip
4
: something of unusual size or excellence

Examples of imperial in a Sentence

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
Adjective
When Reuss was a small child, his family moved from Dolina to Vienna along with hundreds of thousands of other immigrants from the empire’s distant outposts, all landing in the imperial metropolis as the 19th century came to a close. Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 Such dual-economy arrangements later allowed the great imperial powers to make their commitment to free exchange, and to a degree of pluralism, commensurable with their ongoing subjugation of native peoples. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
Crab imperial is a dish featuring lump crab in its purest form, enhanced only by a light imperial sauce, without the additional binders used to make crab cakes. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023 While crab cakes might be more widely served today, crab imperial will always be a great way to showcase fresh crabmeat. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for imperial 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imperial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of imperial was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near imperial

Cite this Entry

“Imperial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperial. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

imperial

1 of 2 adjective
im·​pe·​ri·​al im-ˈpir-ē-əl How to pronounce imperial (audio)
: of, relating to, or fine enough for an empire or an emperor
imperially adverb

imperial

2 of 2 noun
: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip

More from Merriam-Webster on imperial

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