nounnoun

la impératrice

emperor

Chef d’un grand pays ou de plusieurs pays, avec un pouvoir très important.

Definition & meaning

Empereur means emperor: a male ruler of an empire. It can also refer to an emperor as a historical title, such as Napoleon I.

In zoology, it appears in the names of certain animals, such as the emperor penguin.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: masculine noun; plural: empereurs.
  • The feminine form is impératrice , meaning “empress.”
  • From Latin imperator, meaning “commander” or “ruler,” derived from imperare, “to command.”

Synonyms & antonyms

  • souverain — “sovereign,” a broader term for a supreme ruler.
  • monarque — “monarch,” a broader term that includes kings and emperors.
  • roi — “king,” the ruler of a kingdom rather than necessarily an empire.

There is no exact antonym, though sujet can mean a person under a ruler’s authority.

Common phrases & collocations

  • empereur romain — Roman emperor
  • manchot empereur — emperor penguin

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Examples

Cet empereur possède un grand palais.noun

This emperor owns a large palace.

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