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Added 9 October 2026

empress

/ˈɛmpɹəs/ noun

In Latin: imperātrīx Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about empress at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The female monarch (ruler) of an empire.
The wife or widow of an emperor or equated ruler.
The third trump or major arcana card of most tarot decks.

verb

Rare form of impress.

Origin

From Middle English emperice, emperesse, from Anglo-Norman and Old French empereriz, from Latin imperatrix, equivalent to emperor + -ess. Doublet of imperatrix. Compare modern French impératrice.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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