empire
empire — noun
1. a large set of countries and regions united under the authority of a single powe
a large set of countries and regions united under the authority of a single powerful state, monarch, or ruling government, usually gained by military force or settlement
The Roman Empire once stretched from Britain to the Middle East.
proper name: the Roman Empire
By the early 1900s, the British Empire covered almost a quarter of the world's land.
historical reference: British Empire + time period
Many former colonies still use the language of the empire that ruled them.
The Ottoman Empire controlled much of southeastern Europe for over five hundred years.
Tariq's history project explored how empires rise and eventually fall.
- colony
a territory controlled by an empire rather than controlling one
文法句型
the + [name] + Empire
[possessive] + empire
用法筆記
Frequently capitalised when referring to a specific historical empire (the Roman Empire, the British Empire). The name typically precedes the word: the Inca Empire, not the Empire of Inca.
常見錯誤
2. a huge group of businesses and commercial activities under the ownership or mana
a huge group of businesses and commercial activities under the ownership or management of a single individual, family, or company
Elena built a fashion empire from a single small shop in London.
pattern: [named person] builds + [sector] + empire from [humble start]
The billionaire's business empire includes hotels, airlines, and newspapers.
Chidi turned his small software company into a global tech empire.
The family media empire was sold to a foreign corporation last year.
Hao inherited a financial empire but decided to sell most of its assets.
- conglomerate
more technical, refers to a corporation made of many different businesses
- enterprise
broader term; less connotation of size or dominance
文法句型
[possessive] + [adjective] + empire
business empire
media empire
用法筆記
Commonly appears with an industry label: a media empire, a retail empire, a tech empire. The sense is metaphorical — the business does not control countries but dominates its market like an empire dominates territories.
常見錯誤
empire — adjective
1. relating to a decorative style of furniture, clothing, and architecture that was
relating to a decorative style of furniture, clothing, and architecture that was fashionable in France during the early 1800s, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman forms
The dining room was furnished with elegant Empire chairs and a matching table.
collocation: Empire chair / Empire table
Mei wore an Empire dress with a high waistline and long flowing skirt.
named subject: Mei wears Empire dress + description
The museum's new wing displays a collection of original Empire furniture from 1810.
Valentina found a pair of Empire-style armchairs at an antique shop in Lyon.
文法句型
Empire + [furniture/dress/table/chair]
用法筆記
Always capitalised (Empire). Often hyphenated in compound modifiers: Empire-style furniture. The term refers specifically to the Napoleonic Empire period (1804–1815) and the style that continued afterward.