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
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
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Perched on the European shores of the Bosphorus, the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is the only Ottoman imperial palace transformed into a luxury hotel.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Ew Staff, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025
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
The same restrained values of democracy have always marked the White House—a stately house, but not an imperial one.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Perched on the European shores of the Bosphorus, the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is the only Ottoman imperial palace transformed into a luxury hotel.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
The seeds of rebellion continue to be planted, with multiple storylines weaving together in tense standoffs that will keep both imperials and agitators on edge.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Imperial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperial. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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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