conqueror

noun

con·​quer·​or ˈkäŋ-kər-ər How to pronounce conqueror (audio)
plural conquerors
: one who conquers : one who wins a country in war, subdues or subjugates a people, or overcomes an adversary
The year 1570 brought yet another conqueror, the Ottoman Empire.Alan Weisman
In Cleopatra … the Roman conqueror met his equal, at least for proud independence and clear-eyed ruthlessness.Ingrid D. Rowland
William the Conqueror

Examples of conqueror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After Tenerife — the last island to be conquered — fell to Spain, the conquerors dispersed the Guanche population across the world as slaves. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 His company is not just a builder of cars but also a purveyor of thrills, a breaker of records, a conqueror of the public imagination. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023 Many Hindu nationalists believed that a Hindu temple had existed at the site before it was torn down by Muslim conquerors in the 16th century to make way for a mosque built in the name of Babur, founder of the Mughal empire. Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 This intention might have worked if Scott’s movie were trying to portray the complexity of greatness by depicting a conqueror who showed one face to his lover and another to his rivals or his soldiers — charismatic in the streets, embarrassing and lovelorn in the sheets. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 The centuries brought other conquerors, including the Visigoths, the Spanish, the Moors and the French, and a wide range of architectural styles. Sara Clemence Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 While most conquerors promptly razed previous places of worship to erect their own, Mértola's Christian victors simply repurposed an existing mosque; the original horseshoe arches are intact, and the mihrab now houses an altar. Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Dec. 2023 Attila the Hun helped bring down the Western Roman Empire, while campaigns by the later conqueror Tamerlane helped propel the rise of Mughal India, Muscovite Russia, and Shiite Safavid Iran. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 In Mexico, they were apparently brought by the Spanish conquerors, but may also replicate pre-Hispanic traditions. Fabiola Sánchez, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conqueror.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conqueror was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conqueror

Cite this Entry

“Conqueror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conqueror. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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