imperious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪmˈpɪriəs/ UK /ɪmˈpɪərɪəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
arrogantly domineering or overbearing

With an imperious wave, she dismissed the assembled servants.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · arrogantly domineering or... domineering overbearing authoritative commanding dictatorial haughty

Opposites

submissive meek humble deferential

Word family

Forms imperiously

Derived forms imperiouslyimperiousness

Related forms imperial empire emperor imperative

Simplified etymology

Imperious, recorded in the early 16th century, ultimately derives from Latin imperare, “to command.” Its history connects it with emperor, empire, imperative, and imperial.

Etymology

From Latin imperiosus ('commanding, mighty'), from imperium ('command, authority'), from imperare ('to command').

imperiosus Latin imperium Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# imperious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɪriəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɪərɪəs/

## Meanings
1. arrogantly domineering or overbearing

## Examples
- With an imperious wave, she dismissed the assembled servants.

## Synonyms
- domineering
- overbearing
- authoritative
- commanding
- dictatorial
- haughty

## Antonyms
- submissive
- meek
- humble
- deferential

## Derived Forms
- imperiously
- imperiousness

## Related Forms
- imperial
- empire
- emperor
- imperative

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: imperiosus
- Root: imperium

## Etymology
From Latin imperiosus ('commanding, mighty'), from imperium ('command, authority'), from imperare ('to command').

## AI Etymology
Imperious comes from Latin imperiosus ('commanding, mighty'), from imperium ('command, authority'), from imperare ('to command'). The etymological trail includes Latin imperiosus and Latin imperium. As an adjective, imperious means arrogantly domineering or overbearing. The same family is visible in derived forms such as imperiously and imperiousness and related forms such as imperial, empire, emperor, and imperative.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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