IMPERIALISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does imperialism mean? 

• IMPERIALISM (noun)
  The noun IMPERIALISM has 3 senses:

1. a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries

2. a political orientation that advocates imperial interests

3. any instance of aggressive extension of authority

  Familiarity information: IMPERIALISM used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPERIALISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A policy of extending your rule over foreign countries

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("imperialism" is a kind of...):

foreign policy (a policy governing international relations)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "imperialism"):

manifest destiny (a policy of imperialism rationalized as inevitable (as if granted by God))

Derivation:

imperialist (a believer in imperialism)

imperialistic (of or relating to imperialism)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A political orientation that advocates imperial interests

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("imperialism" is a kind of...):

ideology; political orientation; political theory (an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation)

Derivation:

imperialist (a believer in imperialism)

imperialistic (of or relating to imperialism)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any instance of aggressive extension of authority

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("imperialism" is a kind of...):

control (the activity of managing or exerting control over something)

Derivation:

imperialistic (of or relating to imperialism)