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imperialistic

UK[ɪmˌpɪəriəˈlɪstɪk]US[ɪmˌpɪriəˈlɪstɪk]
adj

relating to or characterized by a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.

adj

seeking to dominate the affairs of other countries or groups in an aggressive way.

Morpheme Breakdown

imperial
ist
ic
imperial

empire

ist

person/advocate

ic

adjective suffix

Etymology

The word 'imperialistic' is built upon the foundation of 'imperial,' which traces back to the Latin imperium, signifying supreme power, command, and dominion, often within the context of the Roman Empire. The suffix '-ist' was appended to form 'imperialist,' denoting an advocate or practitioner of imperial policies. Finally, the adjectival suffix '-ic' was added to create the modern form, describing the qualities or actions associated with such advocacy. Thus, the term's literal construction follows a clear logical path from the concept of empire, to its proponent, and finally to the characterizing adjective, encapsulating the ideology of extending national authority over foreign territories.

Analysis

Structure: imperial (empire) + ist (person/advocate) + ic (adjective suffix) - imperial: From Latin imperium (command, authority, empire). Functions as the core noun/adjective root. - ist: From Greek -istes, via Latin -ista. A suffix denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles. - ic: From Latin -icus, Greek -ikos. A suffix forming adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of."

Examples

The nation's imperialistic ambitions led it to occupy several neighboring islands.

Critics condemned the company's imperialistic approach to swallowing up smaller competitors.

That century was marked by imperialistic rivalries among European powers.

imperialistic – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology