im·pe·ri·al·ism

[im-peer-ee-uh-liz-uhm]
noun
1.
the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies.
2.
advocacy of imperial or sovereign interests over the interests of the dependent states.
3.
imperial government; rule by an emperor or empress.
4.
an imperial system of government.
5.
British. the policy of so uniting the separate parts of an empire with separate governments as to secure for certain purposes a single state.

Origin:
1855–60; imperial1 + -ism

im·pe·ri·al·ist, noun, adjective
im·pe·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
im·pe·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
non·im·pe·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
non·im·pe·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
un·im·pe·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Imperialism is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
imperialism (ɪmˈpɪərɪəˌlɪzəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the policy or practice of extending a state's rule over other territories
2.  an instance or policy of aggressive behaviour by one state against another
3.  the extension or attempted extension of authority, influence, power, etc, by any person, country, institution, etc: cultural imperialism
4.  a system of imperial government or rule by an emperor
5.  the spirit, character, authority, etc, of an empire
6.  advocacy of or support for any form of imperialism
 
im'perialist
 
adj, —n
 
imperial'istic
 
adj
 
imperial'istically
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

imperialism
1826, originally in a Napoleonic context, also of Rome and of British foreign policy, from imperial + -ism. At times in British usage (and briefly in U.S.) with a neutral or positive sense relating to national interests or the spread of the benefits
of Western civilization, but from the begining usually more or less a term of reproach. General sense of "one country's rule over another," first recorded 1878. Picked up disparagingly in Communist jargon by 1918.
"It is the old story of 1798, when French republicanism sick of its own folly and misdeeds, became metamorphosed into imperialism, and consoled itself for its incapacity to found domestic freedom by putting an iron yoke upon Europe, and covering it with blood and battle-fields." [Francis Lloyd, "St. James's Magazine," January 1842]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

imperialism definition


Acquisition by a government of other governments or territories, or of economic or cultural power over other nations or territories, often by force. Colonialism is a form of imperialism.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Imperialism hardly ever brings peace to those on the receiving end.
Imperialism did not allay criticism of the existing order.
He is not sparing on the evil legacies of imperialism, when he gets around to
  them.
To many observers, these restrictions reek of imperialism and hypocrisy.
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