Holy Roman Empire

UK/ˈhəʊli ˈɹəʊmən ˈɛmpaɪə/US/ˈhoʊli ˈɹoʊmən ˈɛmpaɪɚ/

proper noun

A former polity and medieval empire forming a loose conglomeration of largely independent mostly Germanic entities in Central Europe from at least 962 C.E. until 1806.

Meanings

proper nounthe Holy Roman Empire (abbreviation HRE)

abbreviation HRE

  1. historicalA former polity and medieval empire forming a loose conglomeration of largely independent mostly Germanic entities in Central Europe from at least 962 C.E. until 1806.First known use 17th c.

    Synonyms: First Reich, Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA former polity and medieval empire forming a loose conglomeration of largely independent mostly Germanic entities in Central Europe from at least 962 C.E. until 1806.

Origin

  1. Medieval LatinSacrum Rōmānum Imperium
  2. GermanHeiliges Römisches Reich
  3. EnglishHoly Roman Empire

Calque of German Heiliges Römisches Reich and Medieval Latin Sacrum Rōmānum Imperium.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اَلْإِمْبَرَاطُورِيَّة اَلرُّومَانِيَّة اَلْمُقَدَّسَة
  • اَلْإِمْبَرَاطُورِيَّة اَلرُّومَانِيَّة اَلْمُقَدَّسَة (al-ʔimbarāṭūriyya r-rūmāniyya l-muqaddasa)state
Bulgarian Свеще́на Ри́мска импе́рия
  • Свеще́на Ри́мска импе́рия (Svešténa Rímska impérija)state
Chinese Mandarin 神聖羅馬帝國 /神圣罗马帝国
  • 神聖羅馬帝國 /神圣罗马帝国 (Shénshèng Luómǎ Dìguó)state
Czech Svatá říše římská
  • Svatá říše římskástate
Danish Tysk-romerske rige
  • Tysk-romerske rigestate
Dutch Heilige Roomse Rijk
  • Heilige Roomse Rijkstate
Esperanto Sankta Romia Imperio
  • Sankta Romia Imperiostate
Finnish Pyhä saksalais-roomalainen keisarikunta
  • Pyhä saksalais-roomalainen keisarikuntastate
French Saint-Empire romain germanique, Saint-Empire romain de la nation germanique
  • Saint-Empire romain germaniquestate
  • Saint-Empire romain de la nation germaniquestate
German Heiliges Römisches Reich, Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation
  • Heiliges Römisches Reichstate
  • Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nationstate
Greek Αγία Ρωμαϊκή Αυτοκρατορία
  • Αγία Ρωμαϊκή Αυτοκρατορία (Agía Romaïkí Aftokratoría)state
Hebrew האימפריה הרומית הקדושה
  • האימפריה הרומית הקדושה (ha'impérya harómit haqdoshá)state
Hindi पवित्र रोम साम्राज्य
  • पवित्र रोम साम्राज्य (pavitra rom sāmrājya)state
Hungarian Német-római Birodalom
  • Német-római Birodalomstate
Icelandic Heilaga rómverska ríkið
  • Heilaga rómverska ríkiðstate
Indonesian Kekaisaran Romawi Suci
  • Kekaisaran Romawi Sucistate
Irish Impireacht Naofa na Róimhe, An Naomh-Impireacht Rómhánach
  • Impireacht Naofa na Róimhestate
  • An Naomh-Impireacht Rómhánachstate
Italian Sacro Romano Impero
  • Sacro Romano Imperostate
Japanese 神聖ローマ帝国
  • 神聖ローマ帝国 (Shinsei Rōma Teikoku)state
Korean 신성 로마 제국
  • 신성 로마 제국 (Sinseong Roma Jeguk)state
Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium
  • Sacrum Romanum Imperiumstate
Lithuanian Šventoji Romos imperija
  • Šventoji Romos imperijastate
Norwegian Bokmål Det tysk-romerske rike
  • Det tysk-romerske rikestate
Persian امپراتوری مقدس روم
  • امپراتوری مقدس روم (emperâturi-ye moqaddas-e rum)state
Polish Święte Cesarstwo Rzymskie Narodu Niemieckiego
  • Święte Cesarstwo Rzymskie Narodu Niemieckiegostate
Portuguese Sacro Império Romano-Germânico
  • Sacro Império Romano-Germânicostate
Russian Свяще́нная Ри́мская импе́рия
  • Свяще́нная Ри́мская импе́рия (Svjaščénnaja Rímskaja impérija)state
Slovak Rímsko-nemecká ríša
  • Rímsko-nemecká ríšastate
Spanish Sacro Imperio Romano, Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico
  • Sacro Imperio Romanostate
  • Sacro Imperio Romano Germánicostate
Swedish Tysk-Romerska Riket
  • Tysk-Romerska Riketstate
Thai จักรวรรดิโรมันอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์
  • จักรวรรดิโรมันอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (jàk-grà-wàt roh-man an-sàk-sìt)state
Turkish Kutsal Roma İmparatorluğu
  • Kutsal Roma İmparatorluğustate
Ukrainian Свяще́нна Ри́мська імпе́рія
  • Свяще́нна Ри́мська імпе́рія (Svjaščénna Rýmsʹka impérija)state
Urdu مقدس رومی سلطنت
  • مقدس رومی سلطنت (muqaddas rōmī saltanat)state
Vietnamese Đế quốc La Mã Thần thánh
  • Đế quốc La Mã Thần thánhstate
Welsh Ymerodraeth Lân Rufeinig
  • Ymerodraeth Lân Rufeinigstate
Cite this entry
APA

Holy Roman Empire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holy%20Roman%20Empire

MLA

“Holy Roman Empire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holy%20Roman%20Empire. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Holy Roman Empire,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Holy%20Roman%20Empire.

Source: Holy Roman Empire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.