conquered
UK[ˈkɒŋkəd]US[ˈkɑːŋkərd]
verb (past tense, past participle)
to take control of a country or city and its people by force
verb (past tense, past participle)
to succeed in dealing with or controlling something difficult
Morpheme Breakdown
con
quer
ed
con
together, completely
quer
to seek, to gain
ed
Etymology
the word 'conquered' originates from the latin verb 'conquirere', a compound of the intensive prefix 'con-' and the root 'quaerere', meaning 'to seek, to obtain'. this literal sense of 'seeking out thoroughly' evolved in medieval latin and old french into the more martial meaning of 'to acquire by force, to vanquish'. entering english via anglo-norman french, the past participle form 'conquered' came to signify the completed action of gaining mastery over a territory or overcoming a challenge, carrying the implication of a definitive and hard-won achievement.
Analysis
Structure: con + quer + ed
con- (latin origin, prefix meaning 'together, completely'); quer (latin root 'quaerere', meaning 'to seek, to gain'); -ed (old english suffix, indicating past tense or past participle)
Examples
the normans conquered england in 1066.
after years of struggle, she finally conquered her fear of public speaking.
the team conquered every obstacle on their way to the championship.