imperial
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imperial¹
- /ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/ Australia, UK
- /ɪmˈpɪɹ.i.əl/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English imperial, from Old French imperial, from Latin imperiālis (“of the empire or emperor, imperial”), from imperium (“empire, imperial government”) + -ālis, from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (“form of in”) + parō (“prepare, arrange; intend”). Displaced Old English cāserlīċ.
adjective more imperial · most imperial
- Related to an empire, emperor, or empress. the imperial diadem of Rome
- Relating to the British imperial system of measurement. Using imperial units such as pounds makes fresh produce look cheaper than it really is, and it might be luring consumers away from frozen produce, which could possibly provide the same nutritional benefits at lower cost.
- Very grand or fine.
- Of special, superior, or unusual size or excellence.
- Stronger than typical. (Derived from the name of Russian Imperial stout, a strong dark beer.) Imperial pale ale, Imperial IPA, Imperial pilsner, Imperial milk stout, Imperial lager, Imperial mead
Similar: in old money
noun imperials
- A bottle of wine (usually Bordeaux) containing 6 liters of fluid, eight times the volume of a standard bottle.
- A writing paper size measuring 30 × 22 inches, or printing paper measuring 32 × 22 inches.
- A card game differing from piquet in some minor details, and in having a trump.
- Any of several combinations of cards which score in this game.
- A crown imperial. There are who say the sonnet's meted maze Is all too fettered for the poet's powers, Compelled to crowd his flush and airy flowers Like pots of tall imperials, ill at ease.
-
A tuft of hair on the lower lip (so called from its use by Napoleon III).
Similar: royal
- A kind of dome, as in Moorish buildings.
- An outside or roof seat on a diligence or carriage. ...and she was just in time to see Mr. Boyne Sillery hand her aunt into a carriage, jump in himself, when it drove off with a rapidity which scarcely allowed her to observe that a large imperial was on the top, and her aunt's servant, with a huge bandbox, on the dickey.
- A suitcase or trunk designed to be transported on the roof of a carriage. [T]he imperials were packed, and the post-chariot was at the door.
- A variety of green tea.
Imperial²
adjective
- Clipping of Imperial Japanese For quotations using this term, see Citations:Imperial.
- Alternative letter-case form of imperial (“of alcohol: stronger”).
proper noun
- A city in Imperial County, California, United States.
- A city, the county seat of Chase County, Nebraska, United States.
- A town in Saskatchewan, Canada.
- Imperial College London. He is now professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial
- A census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States.
- A census-designated place in Texas, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Virginia, United States.
- An unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States.
- A former department of Chile.
noun Imperials
-
A large Bordeaux wine bottle with the capacity of about 6 liters, equivalent to 8 standard bottles.
Similar: methuselah
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: royal, regal, noble, majestic, purple, imperial beard, emperor, empire, imperialist, imperialistic, colonial, imperialism, reich, british, upper, oup
adjective
Similar: in old money
Translations
Every language
adj related to an empire
| Español | imperial |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 제국의 jegugui |
| 日本語 | 天皇の tennō no, 皇帝の kōtei no |
| 中文 | 帝國的 /帝国的 dìguó de, 皇帝的 huángdì de |
| Português | imperial |
| Français | impérial |
| Deutsch | kaiserlich |
| Italiano | imperiale |
| Ελληνικά | αυτοκρατορικός aftokratorikós |
| Română | imperial |
| Русский | импе́рский impérskij, импера́торский imperátorskij, ца́рский cárskij |
| Tiếng Việt | thành nội, hoàng đế |
| العربية | إِمْبِرَاطُورِيّ ʔimbirāṭūriyy, مَلَكِيّ malakiyy |
adj related to the British measurement system
| Português | imperial |
|---|---|
| Français | impérial |
| Deutsch | imperial, zöllig |
| Română | imperial |
| Русский | брита́нский británskij, импе́рский impérskij |
adj very grand or fine
| Français | royal |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | επιβλητικός epivlitikós, μεγαλειώδης megaleiódis |
| Русский | великоле́пный velikolépnyj, вели́чественный velíčestvennyj |
adj of special, superior, or unusual size or excellence
| Français | impérial |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | βασιλικός vasilikós |
| Русский | ца́рский cárskij, короле́вский korolévskij |
Talk about this word "imperial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/imperial. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. imperial. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/imperial "imperial." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/imperial.Cite this
@misc{imperial_2026,
title = {imperial},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/imperial},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}