empire itself
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The term is French in origin, sublime signifying "lofty" or "high and mighty.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “empire itself” mean?
The term is French in origin, sublime signifying "lofty" or "high and mighty.
Is “empire itself” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.