"empire" meaning in Middle English

See empire in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ɛmˈpiːr(ə)/, /ˈɛmpiːr(ə)/ Forms: empyre [alternative], enpyre [alternative], empir [alternative], empyere [alternative], enpir [alternative], empere [alternative, Late-Middle-English], empeyr [alternative, Late-Middle-English]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of emperie. Etymology templates: {{etymon|enm|:bor|fro:empire}}, {{bor+|enm|fro|empire,empere}} Borrowed from Old French empire, empere, {{der|enm|la|imperium,inperium|t=command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire}} Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), {{af|la|in<t:in, on>|parare<t:to make ready, order>|nocat=1}} in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”), {{doublet|enm|emperie}} Doublet of emperie Head templates: {{head|enm|noun}} empire
  1. emperorship (rank or office of an emperor)
    Sense id: en-empire-enm-noun-~dkJ3Gl3 Categories (other): Pages with entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Offices Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 7 2 14 1 1 1 2 20 3 1 1 1 12 1 20 1 10 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 25 4 37 2 32 Disambiguation of Offices: 47 8 13 4 27
  2. empire (the domain of an emperor or empress)
    Sense id: en-empire-enm-noun-zKoJlcvm
  3. (rare) total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-empire-enm-noun-1fZt5HXp Categories (other): Pages with 7 entries, Pages with entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 3 6 3 14 1 2 1 3 16 4 2 2 2 9 1 15 1 15 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 7 2 14 1 1 1 2 20 3 1 1 1 12 1 20 1 10 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 25 4 37 2 32
  4. (rare) a region of control; a field or zone Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-empire-enm-noun-QsTZ4G-P
  5. (rare, Christianity) the Kingdom of Heaven Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-empire-enm-noun-sPIRby0M Categories (other): Christianity, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 7 entries, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Monarchy Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 6 6 5 16 1 3 1 6 10 3 17 1 25 Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 3 6 3 14 1 2 1 3 16 4 2 2 2 9 1 15 1 15 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 25 4 37 2 32 Disambiguation of Monarchy: 5 5 4 4 83 Topics: Christianity

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "empire"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "empire"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "fro:empire"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "empire,empere"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French empire, empere",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "imperium,inperium",
        "t": "command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "in<t:in, on>",
        "3": "parare<t:to make ready, order>",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”)",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "emperie"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of emperie",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of emperie.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "empyre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "enpyre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empyere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "enpir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empeyr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "empire",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 7 2 14 1 1 1 2 20 3 1 1 1 12 1 20 1 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 4 37 2 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 8 13 4 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Offices",
          "orig": "enm:Offices",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "emperorship (rank or office of an emperor)"
      ],
      "id": "en-empire-enm-noun-~dkJ3Gl3",
      "links": [
        [
          "emperorship",
          "emperorship"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "empire (the domain of an emperor or empress)"
      ],
      "id": "en-empire-enm-noun-zKoJlcvm",
      "links": [
        [
          "empire",
          "empire#English"
        ],
        [
          "emperor",
          "emperor#English"
        ],
        [
          "empress",
          "empress#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 6 3 14 1 2 1 3 16 4 2 2 2 9 1 15 1 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 7 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 7 2 14 1 1 1 2 20 3 1 1 1 12 1 20 1 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 4 37 2 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              254,
              260
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              257,
              262
            ]
          ],
          "english": "[of Jesus Christ,] / who is a reliable witness, the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign over the rulers of the Earth, who loved us, cleansed us from our sins with his blood, / and made us a kingdom / and priests of God and his father. To him are glory and power for many ages.",
          "ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 1:5-6, folio 117, verso; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
          "text": "[⁊ of iheſu criſt] þat is a feiþful witneſſe .· þe firſte bigeten of deed men · ⁊ pꝛynce of kyngis of þe erþe / which louyde vs / ⁊ waiſchide vs fro oure ſynnes in his blood .· / ⁊ made vs a kyngdom / ⁊ pꝛeſtis to god ⁊ to his fadir / to hym be gloꝛie ⁊ empire .· in to woꝛldis of woꝛldis",
          "translation": "[of Jesus Christ,] / who is a reliable witness, the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign over the rulers of the Earth, who loved us, cleansed us from our sins with his blood, / and made us a kingdom / and priests of God and his father. To him are glory and power for many ages.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods"
      ],
      "id": "en-empire-enm-noun-1fZt5HXp",
      "links": [
        [
          "influence",
          "influence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "a region of control; a field or zone"
      ],
      "id": "en-empire-enm-noun-QsTZ4G-P",
      "links": [
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ],
        [
          "zone",
          "zone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) a region of control; a field or zone"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "enm:Christianity",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 5 16 1 3 1 6 10 3 17 1 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 6 3 14 1 2 1 3 16 4 2 2 2 9 1 15 1 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 7 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 4 37 2 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 4 4 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Monarchy",
          "orig": "enm:Monarchy",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "the Kingdom of Heaven"
      ],
      "id": "en-empire-enm-noun-sPIRby0M",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "Kingdom of Heaven",
          "Kingdom of Heaven"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare, Christianity) the Kingdom of Heaven"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛmˈpiːr(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛmpiːr(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "empire"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English doublets",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Italic",
    "Middle English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *perh₃-",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 7 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Monarchy",
    "enm:Offices"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "empire"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "empire"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "fro:empire"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "empire,empere"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French empire, empere",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "imperium,inperium",
        "t": "command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "in<t:in, on>",
        "3": "parare<t:to make ready, order>",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”)",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "emperie"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of emperie",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French empire, empere, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of emperie.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "empyre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "enpyre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empyere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "enpir",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empere",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "empeyr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "empire",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "emperorship (rank or office of an emperor)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "emperorship",
          "emperorship"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "empire (the domain of an emperor or empress)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "empire",
          "empire#English"
        ],
        [
          "emperor",
          "emperor#English"
        ],
        [
          "empress",
          "empress#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with quotations",
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              254,
              260
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              257,
              262
            ]
          ],
          "english": "[of Jesus Christ,] / who is a reliable witness, the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign over the rulers of the Earth, who loved us, cleansed us from our sins with his blood, / and made us a kingdom / and priests of God and his father. To him are glory and power for many ages.",
          "ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 1:5-6, folio 117, verso; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
          "text": "[⁊ of iheſu criſt] þat is a feiþful witneſſe .· þe firſte bigeten of deed men · ⁊ pꝛynce of kyngis of þe erþe / which louyde vs / ⁊ waiſchide vs fro oure ſynnes in his blood .· / ⁊ made vs a kyngdom / ⁊ pꝛeſtis to god ⁊ to his fadir / to hym be gloꝛie ⁊ empire .· in to woꝛldis of woꝛldis",
          "translation": "[of Jesus Christ,] / who is a reliable witness, the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign over the rulers of the Earth, who loved us, cleansed us from our sins with his blood, / and made us a kingdom / and priests of God and his father. To him are glory and power for many ages.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "influence",
          "influence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) total power or influence, especially when wielded by gods"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "a region of control; a field or zone"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ],
        [
          "zone",
          "zone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) a region of control; a field or zone"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses",
        "enm:Christianity"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "the Kingdom of Heaven"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "Kingdom of Heaven",
          "Kingdom of Heaven"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare, Christianity) the Kingdom of Heaven"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛmˈpiːr(ə)/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛmpiːr(ə)/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "empire"
}

Download raw JSONL data for empire meaning in Middle English (4.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-13 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (96027d6 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.