What does empery mean?
Empery is a rare, literary noun denoting supreme or absolute rule — sovereign power exercised without check or rival. Where 'empire' names the territory or polity itself, empery points to the abstract quality of command: the dominion a ruler holds rather than the lands it governs. The word descends through Middle English and Old French from Latin imperium, the same root that gives us emperor, imperial, and imperious. It appears chiefly in elevated or archaic registers — Shakespeare used it in Antony and Cleopatra — and modern writers reach for it when they want a word with grandeur and historical weight. Its tone is imposing, even autocratic: to exercise empery is not merely to lead but to command absolutely. Because of its rarity, empery lends any sentence a deliberately antique or poetic flavor, which is precisely why stylists prize it for evoking the sweep and majesty of bygone sovereignties.
nounAbsolute rule or sovereign power; dominion, especially when exercised with commanding authority. A rare and literary word for supreme command.
- Supreme or absolute rule; sovereign power or dominion.
"The general ruled the occupied provinces with an empery that brooked no dissent."
"The young queen assumed full empery over her realm at the age of eighteen."
"He spoke with the calm empery of a man long accustomed to being obeyed."
Shakespeare put 'empery' in the mouth of Mark Antony — 'in th' empery of Cleopatra' — making this rare word immortal on stage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of empery
Empery entered English in the Middle English period via Old French emperie, deriving ultimately from Latin imperium, meaning 'supreme power' or 'command.' It thus shares its origin with emperor, empire, imperial, and imperious. Once more current in earlier centuries, it has since receded into chiefly literary and archaic use.
How empery is actually used
A literary and archaic-flavored word, rarely used outside poetry, historical prose, or elevated rhetoric. It carries a connotation of grandeur and often of autocratic command.
Easily confused with empery
An empire is the actual territory or political entity under one ruler's control, whereas empery refers abstractly to the supreme power or dominion itself.