emperor

emperor — noun

1. An emperor is a man who leads and controls a very large group of countries calle

1.nounB1
Definition

An emperor is a man who leads and controls a very large group of countries called an empire.

Example

Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Byzantium.

Emperor + proper name (e.g., Emperor Constantine)

The emperor's decree ordered all farmers to pay higher taxes that year.

possessive: the emperor's + decree / order / crown

Common collocations
  • Emperor + of + [empire / region] (e.g., Emperor of Japan)
  • Emperor + [name] (e.g., Emperor Akihito)
  • the emperor's + court / decree / army / palace / crown / guard
  • crowned / declared / named emperor
  • serve / report to / advise the emperor
  • overthrow / defeat an emperor
  • the reign / rule of an emperor
Synonyms
  • monarch

    A more general term that covers kings, queens, emperors, and empresses regardless of the size of the territory.

  • sovereign

    A formal, legal term for the supreme ruler of a state, emphasising absolute authority rather than the size of the territory.

  • Caesar

    A historical title used for Roman emperors, now sometimes used generally for any all-powerful ruler but with a Western focus.

Antonyms
  • subject

    A person who lives under the rule of an emperor and owes loyalty to the crown.

  • commoner

    A person who is not part of the royal or noble class.

Grammar Patterns

Emperor + [name] (e.g., Emperor Hirohito)

the emperor + of + [empire/region]

the emperor's + [noun]

Usage Note

Emperor is the title for the ruler of an empire, which is typically larger and more powerful than a kingdom. The female equivalent is empress. In modern times, very few emperors remain — Japan is the only country whose head of state still holds this title.

Common Mistakes

The king of Japan attended the ceremony.
The emperor of Japan attended the ceremony.
Japan's head of state is an emperor, not a king, because the title reflects the historical nature of the Japanese empire.
She was crowned emperor of the empire.
She was crowned empress of the empire.
Emperor refers to a male ruler; use empress for a female ruler.
Idioms

the emperor's new clothes

idiom

A situation where people pretend to admire something because they are afraid to admit they do not understand it.

Maya called the new policy the emperor's new clothes, since no one dared criticize it.

When the CEO admitted the project was flawed, the team realized it was the emperor's new clothes.

Word family

  • empire
    nounB1
  • empress
    nounB2
  • imperial
    adjectiveB2
  • imperialism
    nounC1
  • imperialist
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Emperor, king, monarch, and sovereign all refer to a ruler, but they differ in scope and formality. An emperor rules over an empire — a large territory that often includes multiple countries or peoples. A king rules over a single kingdom, which is generally smaller. Monarch is a broad, neutral term for any hereditary head of state, whether emperor or king. Sovereign is the most formal and legal of the four, emphasising supreme authority rather than the size of the realm. For example, Emperor Naruhito is the monarch of Japan (an empire), while King Charles III is the monarch of the United Kingdom (a kingdom). The phrase 'sovereign state' refers to any independent country, regardless of its form of government.

emperorkingmonarchsovereign

Common collocations

Nouns

  • empire
  • palace
  • court
  • decree
  • army
  • crown
  • throne
  • reign
  • guard

Phrases

  • Emperor of [empire/region]
  • the emperor's new clothes
  • serve as emperor

Prepositions

  • of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word emperor comes from the Latin imperator, meaning 'commander' or 'general-in-chief'. The ancient Romans used imperator as a military title for victorious generals, and later it became the official title of the Roman emperor. The word passed into Old French as empereor, then into Middle English as emperour.