Meaning

noun a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries

noun a political orientation that advocates imperial interests

noun any instance of aggressive extension of authority

originEtymology tree English imperial Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English imperialism From imperial + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0