empire-building

noun

The practice of obtaining more power, responsibility or staff within an organization for the purpose of self-aggrandizement.

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Meanings

nounempire-building (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe practice of obtaining more power, responsibility or staff within an organization for the purpose of self-aggrandizement.

    This increase has not been caused by empire-building on the part of transport managers, who have to convince such hard-headed men as accountants and boards of directors of their arguments.

    1960 March, “A transport manager's view of B.R. freight services”, in Trains Illustrated, page 179
Cite this entry
APA

empire-building. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/empire-building

MLA

“empire-building.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/empire-building. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “empire-building,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/empire-building.

Source: empire-building on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.