im·pe·ri·al
im-ˈpir-ē-əl 
1
a
: of, relating to, befitting, or suggestive of an empire or an emperor
b(1)
: of or relating to the United Kingdom as distinguished from the constituent parts
(2)
: of or relating to the Commonwealth of Nations and British Empire
3
a
: of superior or unusual size or excellence
b
sometimes Imperial
: having a full body and a higher-than-average percentage of alcohol
an imperial stout
4
: belonging to the official British series of weights and measures see Weights and Measures Table
1
Imperial
: an adherent or soldier of the Holy Roman emperor
2
: emperor
3
: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip
4
: something of unusual size or excellence
Synonyms
Examples of imperial in a Sentence
Adjective
a member of the imperial family
envisioned an imperial city that would rival the capitals of Europe for beauty and magnificence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
This set is packed in a leatherette box and includes: 8.8 ounces of imperial hybrid caviar, french blini crème fraîche, a paramount caviar tin opener and mother of pearl spoon.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023
While crab cakes might be more widely served today, crab imperial will always be a great way to showcase fresh crabmeat.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for imperial 
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Adjective
By centralizing Europe from a federalized trade bloc into a formal imperial state, policymakers would naturally encourage and foster centrifugal social forces.
—Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024
This set is packed in a leatherette box and includes: 8.8 ounces of imperial hybrid caviar, french blini crème fraîche, a paramount caviar tin opener and mother of pearl spoon.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
Crab imperial is a dish featuring lump crab in its purest form, enhanced only by a light imperial sauce, without the additional binders used to make crab cakes.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023
While crab cakes might be more widely served today, crab imperial will always be a great way to showcase fresh crabmeat.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for imperial
Articles Related to imperial
Dictionary Entries Near imperial
Cite this Entry
“Imperial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperial. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
imperial
1 of 2 adjective
im·pe·ri·al
im-ˈpir-ē-əl
: of, relating to, or fine enough for an empire or an emperor
imperial
2 of 2 noun
: a pointed beard growing below the lower lip
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