empery

English

Etymology

From Middle English emperie, from Old French emperie, from Latin imperium, inperium (“command, control, dominion, sovereignty, a dominion, empire”), from imperare, inperare (“to command, order”), from in (“in, on”) + parare (“to make ready, order”). Doublet of imperium and empire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛm.pə.ɹɪ/, /ˈɛm.pɹɪ/

Noun

empery (plural emperies)

1. (obsolete) An empire; the status or dominion of an emperor.
   • Sir Edward Coke, "To the Reader", The Fourth Part of the Reports of Sir Edward Coke, Kt..

     Secondly, the Largeneſs of his Empery, and the firſt Conquest of Ireland, long before the Reign of K. Hen. the Second.

   • 1661, John Donne, "To his Mistress going to Bed":

     My Myne of precious stones: My Emperie, / How blest am I in this discovering thee!

2. (archaic) Absolute power or authority.
   • 1833, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Prometheus Bound:

     Because he filched away
     Thine own bright flower, the glory of plastic fire,
     And gifted mortals with it, — such a sin
     It doth behoove he expiate to the gods,
     Learning to accept the empery of Zeus,
     And leave off his old trick of loving man.

Synonyms

• (absolute authority): dominion, sovereignty