emperor

What it means

1. The male monarch or ruler of an empire.

   In imperial China, it was often a responsibility of the emperor to evaluate his predecessor after the latter's death.

   1 more example

   They asked Julius Caesar, the valiant Roman emperor, what was the best death. He answered, that which is unexpected, which comes suddenly and unforeseen

   1885, John Ormsby, transl., Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, Volume 2 Chapter XXIV

2. Any monarch ruling an empire, irrespective of gender, with "empress" contrasting to mean the consort of an emperor.

   In 690 Wu usurped the throne and became Emperor herself, which proved a unique event in the history of China.

   1994, Het Spinhuis, Transactions: Essays in Honor of Jeremy F. Boissevain

   4 more examples

   After his death in 683 she ruled for seven years as regent and then, deposing her son, became emperor herself, the only woman in Chinese history to hold the title.

   2002, The Heritage of World Civilizations: To 1700, page 226

   Empress, imperial regent, and even emperor herself (r. 797–802), Irene was an important and powerful figure at the Byzantine court in the late eighth and early ninth century.

   2008, Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation, page 211

   Originally the wife of the emperor, she engineered the imperial succession so that she could serve first as regent to a boy emperor and then as emperor herself.

   2013, Voyages in World History, page 213

   Where is Sindbad? I have a summons for him direct from the galactic emperor herself. He is to be brought here immediately to give an explanation for his recent actions.

   2016, Commander Pakydus, Sindbad & the 7 Galaxies

3. political theorySpecifically, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire; the world-monarch.

   The Investiture Controversy was a conflict between the Emperor and the Pope.

In a sentence

In imperial China, it was often a responsibility of the emperor to evaluate his predecessor after the latter's death.

Where it comes from

1. Latinimperātorem
2. Anglo-Normanemperour
3. Middle Englishemperour
4. Englishemperor

From Middle English emperour, from Anglo-Norman emperour, from Latin imperātorem, derived from imperō (“to command”). Doublet of imperator. Displaced earlier Old English casere, from Latin Caesar.