imperialism

UK/ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.ə.lɪ.z(ə)m/US/ɪmˈpɪ.ɹi.əˌlɪ.zəm/

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,681 of 15,258leans written

Imperialism is a policy of extending rule over other countries. An age of imperialism.

It covers direct rule and the softer kind done through money and trade. Imperialism is almost always a word used against somebody rather than about oneself.

Definitions of imperialism

1nounimperialismA policy of extending rule over other countries.B2+
“The whole century is taught as a history of imperialism.”

imperialism is a policy.

Where it comes from

From imperial + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

imperialism in the wild

Cultural imperialism endeavours to create and maintain unequal social and economic relationships among social groups.
Cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism may be distinguished from the natural process of cultural diffusion.
Cultural imperialism
Kenneth Waltz suggests that the root cause of imperialism is great power.
Imperialism
American imperialism is the exercise of power by the United States outside its borders.
American imperialism
Some academics use this phrase to refer to governments that engage in imperialism meant to preserve the domestic social peace.
Social imperialism

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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