What does imperious mean?
Imperious describes a manner, attitude, or demand that asserts authority with an overbearing confidence. In its common sense, it is negative: an imperious person behaves as though entitled to command and expects others to comply without question, while an imperious tone or manner can seem arrogant, forceful, or domineering. The word is especially effective in literary and formal English because it conveys both power and excessive authority rather than merely describing someone as angry or rude. In a less common sense, imperious means pressing or urgent, as in “the imperious needs of the situation.” It was borrowed from Latin, where imperiosus meant masterful or domineering. The word belongs to the same Roman family as empire, imperial, imperative, and imperator, all connected with command or authority. Its distinction from those words lies in its modern use: imperious generally characterizes a forceful display of authority rather than the territory, ruler, grammatical mood, or military title associated with its relatives.
adjectiveArrogantly authoritative or domineering. In a less common sense, imperious means pressing or urgently necessary.
- Arrogantly assuming authority or seeking to dominate others.
- Pressing, urgent, or demanding immediate attention.
"Her imperious tone ended the discussion before it began."
"Her imperious tone ended the discussion before it began."
"The imperious demands of the emergency required immediate action."
Imperious shares its Roman command root with empire, imperial, and imperative: all ultimately trace their meaning to the idea of authority or command.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does imperious come from?
Imperious comes from the Latin adjective imperiosus, meaning masterful or domineering, which was derived from imperium, “command” or “authority.” Imperium in turn was connected with imperare, “to command.” The word entered English in the early 17th century, and its related vocabulary includes empire, imperial, imperator, and imperative.
How imperious is actually used
The dominant sense is formal and carries a negative connotation, often suggesting that a person's behavior is arrogant, domineering, or overly forceful. The rarer sense meaning urgent or pressing is usually found in phrases involving needs, demands, or circumstances.
Easily confused with imperious
Imperious means domineering or arrogantly authoritative, whereas imperious is not commonly confused with imperial, which means relating to an empire or its ruler.