Conquer: Taking by Force, and Overcoming Anything Difficult
To conquer is to take control of a place by military force, or to overcome a difficulty. The second use is now far more common than the first.
Conquer means to defeat and take control. Its everyday life is now entirely metaphorical: people conquer fears, mountains and bad habits far more often than they conquer countries, and the word keeps its sense of a hard-won victory.
- To take by military force. *The Normans conquered England in 1066.*
- To overcome a difficulty. *She conquered her fear of flying.*
- To succeed in reaching. *The team conquered the north face.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | conquer | Conquer the summit. |
| Noun | conquest | The Norman Conquest. |
| Person | conqueror | William the Conqueror. |
| Person | conquistador | A Spanish conquistador. |
| Adjective | unconquered | An unconquered peak. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Divide and conquer.A strategy of splitting opposition — from the Latin divide et impera.
- He finally conquered his stammer.The dominant modern use.
- I came, I saw, I conquered.Caesar's veni, vidi, vici, quoted endlessly ever since.
Conquer, defeat, subdue and vanquish
- Conquer — defeat and then take control
- Defeat — win against, with no control implied
- Subdue — bring under control, often after resistance continues
- Vanquish — defeat decisively, and now literary
- Overcome — the neutral word for difficulties rather than enemies
From Old French *conquerre*, from Latin *conquirere*, to search out or procure — a milder verb than the English one. The sense hardened into military conquest during the Middle Ages, and the softer original meaning disappeared.
Conquer or conquered — the spelling?
Conquer, conquered, conquering. The q-u-e-r ending catches people out because it does not match the pronunciation.
Where does divide and conquer come from?
A Latin maxim of imperial rule, urging a ruler to keep opponents divided rather than let them unite.