An Emperor Outranks a King
An emperor rules an empire, usually made of several peoples or kingdoms. The title comes from a Roman word for a victorious commander.
An emperor rules an empire: not one nation but several, gathered by conquest or inheritance. The Roman title *imperator* was originally a battlefield salute to a winning general, and it slid from a compliment to the highest office in the world.
- The ruler of an empire. *The emperor of Japan.*
- A dominant figure (figurative). *An emperor of the newspaper trade.*
- Emperor penguin — the largest penguin species. *Emperor penguins breed in winter.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | emperor | The emperor ruled. |
| Female | empress | The empress consort. |
| Adjective | imperial | Imperial power. |
| Noun | empire | A vast empire. |
| Related | imperator | The Latin title. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The emperor abdicated in favour of his son.Abdicate is the verb for leaving a throne.
- Japan is the only country with an emperor today.True of the modern world.
- The emperor has no clothes.From Andersen's tale, used of things nobody dares call false.
Rulers, in order of claim
- Emperor — rules an empire, in theory above kings
- King / Queen — rules a kingdom
- Tsar, Kaiser — both descend from *Caesar*
- Sultan, Shah, Khan — imperial titles outside Europe
- Regent — rules on behalf of someone else
From Old French *empereor*, from Latin *imperator*, commander, from *imperare*, to command. *Tsar* and *Kaiser* took a different road to the same rank, both worn down from the name Caesar.
Is an emperor higher than a king?
By tradition yes, because an empire contains more than one realm. In practice power mattered more than rank.
Why are the penguins called emperors?
They are the largest species, and nineteenth-century naturalists named the next size down the king penguin.