imperial
imperial — adjective
1. concerning the authority of an empire, its supreme ruler, or the government that
concerning the authority of an empire, its supreme ruler, or the government that controls a wide collection of territories
The imperial palace in Beijing welcomes thousands of tourists every morning.
collocation: imperial palace
Eitan studied the history of Roman imperial government during his first year at university.
The museum's new exhibition displays gold coins from the imperial treasury of Persia.
Jisoo's grandfather often tells stories about life under the old imperial system before the revolution.
Imperial armies built roads across Europe to connect their far-flung territories.
- colonial
relates to territories under imperial rule rather than the ruling power itself
- provincial
relates to local or regional matters rather than the central imperial authority
常見錯誤
2. relating to the traditional British way of stating how long, how heavy, or how l
relating to the traditional British way of stating how long, how heavy, or how large something is — using inches, feet, miles, ounces, and pints as standard units
Kenji had to convert the baking recipe from imperial units to the metric system.
convert from imperial units
Road signs in the United Kingdom still show distances in imperial miles.
The imperial pint contains twenty fluid ounces, which is larger than the American pint.
Hoa struggled to learn imperial measurements after growing up with the metric system in Vietnam.
- metric
the decimal-based system used by most countries worldwide
用法筆記
The imperial system is used mainly in the United Kingdom, the United States (with slight differences), and a few other countries. Most of the world uses the metric system (kilometres, litres, grams). Taiwan officially uses the metric system, though some traditional measures remain in daily use.
常見錯誤
3. having an unusually large size or an extremely high level of quality that stands
having an unusually large size or an extremely high level of quality that stands out from the ordinary
The chef prepared an imperial lobster that weighed nearly two kilograms.
imperial = very large
Trang gave an imperial performance of the Chopin concerto that moved the audience to tears.
imperial = excellent
The winning pumpkin at the county fair was an imperial specimen over a meter across.
The imperial tapestry covered an entire wall of the castle's great hall.
- colossal
focuses on enormous size without the quality or excellence aspect
- magnificent
emphasizes beauty and grandeur rather than size
- superior
more general term for higher quality; lacks the scale and splendor of 'imperial'
用法筆記
This sense is quite rare in modern English and mostly appears in formal or literary contexts, especially when describing food, art, or natural specimens of exceptional size.
imperial — noun
1. a soldier or supporter who fought on behalf of the supreme ruler of the medieval
a soldier or supporter who fought on behalf of the supreme ruler of the medieval Holy Roman Empire, especially during the Middle Ages and early modern period
The imperial defended the fortress walls during the long siege of the city.
historical: soldier of Holy Roman emperor
Historians disagree about how loyal a typical imperial felt toward the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Young imperials trained for years before joining the emperor's personal guard.
The imperial earned a small plot of land after serving the army for twenty years.
A group of imperials guarded the city gates against the approaching army.
用法筆記
This is an archaic historical term. You are very unlikely to encounter it in modern non-specialist writing. It appears mainly in academic texts about the Holy Roman Empire.
2. a supreme ruler who governs an empire; an emperor
a supreme ruler who governs an empire; an emperor
The imperial addressed his ministers from a golden throne in the great hall.
formal: supreme ruler
Visitors to the Forbidden City can imagine the daily life of China's last imperial, Puyi.
The imperial wore a heavy gold crown during the annual ceremony at the palace.
Rumors at court suggested that the imperial was planning to expand the empire further east.
The people cheered as their imperial rode through the streets in a decorated carriage.
- subject
a person under the rule of an emperor or monarch
用法筆記
Using 'imperial' as a direct noun meaning 'emperor' is highly formal and somewhat dated. In most contexts, the standard noun 'emperor' is preferred. This usage survives mainly in historical references and formal royal titles.
常見錯誤
3. a small, pointed beard that grows from the chin area beneath the mouth, named af
a small, pointed beard that grows from the chin area beneath the mouth, named after Emperor Napoleon III who made the style popular in nineteenth-century France
Romi carefully trimmed his beard into an imperial for the nineteenth-century costume party.
also called Napoleon III beard
The portrait shows Napoleon III with his signature imperial beard and a stern expression.
Léa thought the actor's sharp imperial beard gave him a distinguished look in the period drama.
An imperial requires regular trimming to keep its narrow, pointed shape.
用法筆記
This style is also called a 'Napoleon III beard' or simply an 'imperial beard.' It differs from a goatee, which covers the chin more fully. The imperial is narrow and pointed, growing only from below the lower lip.
常見錯誤
4. something of unusually large size or outstanding quality that is considered rema
something of unusually large size or outstanding quality that is considered remarkable or extraordinary
The antique dealer described the enormous Ming vase as a true imperial of its kind.
rare: something unusually large or excellent
At the vegetable show, the giant squash was declared an imperial by the judges.
The fisherman called his enormous tuna an imperial, as it was twice the usual size.
Collectors at the auction described the painting as an imperial from the artist's finest period.
用法筆記
This sense is extremely rare in modern English. It appears chiefly in specialist or descriptive contexts where something is being singled out as exceptionally large or fine. Learners can safely focus on the other more common meanings of 'imperial.'