Imperious

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ɪmˈpɪəriÉ™s/
• US IPA: /ɪmˈpɪriÉ™s/
• Rhymes: -ɪəriÉ™s

Origin

From Latin imperiōsus ("mighty, powerful"), from imperium ("command, authority, power")

Full definition of imperious

Adjective

1. Domineering, arrogant, or overbearing.
• 1866 – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, , translated by C. J. Hogarth...she glanced about her in an imperious, challenging sort of way, with looks and gestures that clearly were unstudied.
2. Urgent.
• 1891 – Ambrose Bierce, Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army which had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth.
3. (obsolete) Imperial or regal.
• 1895 – Stephen Crane, She was quick, beautiful, imperious, while he was quiet, slow, and misty.

Synonyms

• (domineering) authoritarian, bossy, dictatorial, domineering, overbearing

Related terms

• imperial
• imperialism
• imperialistic
• imperially
• imperialness
• imperium