imperialism 
Roman imperialism had divided the world, into master 
and slave. 
C. H. Pearson, Early and Middle Ages of Eng., xxxiv. 
2. The principle or spirit of empire ; promotion 
of or devotion to imperial interests. 
Under the pretext of Imperialism and farseeing states- 
manship, the habitual and hitherto incurable fault of our 
Governments especially of Tory Governments has been 
to look too far ahead. 
W. R. Greg, Misc. Essays, 1st ser., p. 39. 
imperialist (im-pe'ri-ftl-ist), . [= F. imperi- 
aliste = Sp. Pg. imperialist/I; as imperial + -ist.] 
1. A subject or follower of an emperor; one 
who upholds the cause of an emperor or an 
empire; specifically, one of the partizans of 
the empire, or of the combatants for the impe- 
rial cause, as in the thirty years' war in Ger- 
many (1618-48). 2. One who favors imperial 
government, or government by an emperor; one 
who favors the establishment or maintenance 
of an empire. 
imperialistic (im-pe'ri-a-lis'tik), a. [< impe- 
rial + -istic.] Of or pertaining to imperialism 
or imperialists; favoring imperialism. 
Confessed his own imperialistic faith. 
The Century, XXVIII. 542. 
imperiality (im-pe-ri-al'i-ti), n. ; pi. imperiali- 
ties (-tiz). [= It. imperialita, devotion to the 
cause of an emperor; as imperial + -ity.] 1. 
Imperial power. Smart. 2. An imperial right 
or privilege, as the right of an emperor to a 
share of the produce of mines, etc. 
The late empress having, by ukases of grace, relinquished 
her itnperialities on the private mines, viz. the tenths of 
the copper, iron, silver, and gold. W. Tooke. 
imperialization (im-pe"ri-al-i-za'shon), . [< 
imperialize + -ation.] Formation or conversion 
into an empire ; establishment or extension of 
imperial power. 
The [British] Government have blundered fatally in 
their struggles after imperialization. 
H. A. Rev., CXXVII. 405. 
imperialize (im-pe'ri-al-Iz), v. t. ; pret. and pp. 
imperialized, ppr. imperializing. [< imperial + 
-ize.] To make imperial; endow with imperial 
form, character, or authority. 
The Roman Church is the child of the Roman Empire : 
. . . but the imperialized Church has its own peculiar 
activities. Contemporary Rev., LI. 214. 
imperially (im-pe'ri-al-i), adv. In an imperial 
manner Imperially crowned, in her., crowned with 
a regal or imperial crown, as distinguished from a ducal 
coronet or the like : said of a bearing. 
imperialtyt (im-pe'ri-al-ti), n. [< imperial + 
-ty 2 .] Imperial power! 
A short Roman imperially or empire. 
Sheldon, Miracles, p. 166. 
imperiet, n. An obsolete form of empery. 
So also he can not wel indure in his hert an other to be 
joyned with hym in imperie or governance. 
Taverner's Adagies (1552), I. 1. 
imperil (im-per'il), v. t. ; pret. and pp. imperil- 
ed or imperilled, ppr. imperiling or imperilling. 
[Formerly also emperil; < in- 2 + peril.'] To 
bring into peril ; endanger. 
But Braggadochio said, he never thought 
For such an Hag, that seemed worse then nought, 
His person to emperill so in fight. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. iv. 10. 
Will I imperil the innocence and candour of the author 
by this calumny? B. Jonson, Magnetick Lady. 
= Syn. See list under endanger. 
imperilment (im-per'il-ment), n. [< imperil + 
-men*.] The act of putting in peril ; the state 
of being in peril ; imminent danger. [Rare.] 
We must weigh the gain of any particular deception 
against the imperilment of mutual confidence involved 
in any violation of truth. 
H. Sidgwiok, Methods of Ethics, p. 293. 
imperious (im-pe'ri-us), a. [Formerly also em- 
perious; = F. imperieux = Sp. Pg. It. imperio- 
so, < L. imperiosus, inperiosus, full of command, 
powerful, domineering, imperious, < imperium, 
inperium, command: see imperate, empire.] If. 
Imperial. 
The most renowned and Emperious Csesar. 
Bakluyt's Voyages, II. 145. 
Imperious Ctesar, dead, and turn'd to clay. 
Shak., Hamlet, v. 1. 
As when it was decreed by all foredooming Fate, 
That ancient Rome should stoop from her empurious state. 
Drayton, Polyolbion, v. 254. 
2. Of a domineering character or quality; dic- 
tatorial; overbearing: as, an imperious tyrant 
or temper. 
Be not too imperious ouer hir, that will make hir to 
hate thee, nor too submisse [demisse], that will cause hir 
to disdaine thee. Lyly, Euphues and his England, p. 475. 
3008 
To his experience and his native sense 
He foin'd a bold imperious eloquence. 
Crabbc, Works, IV. 7. 
3. Of an urgent or pressing nature ; overmas- 
tering; compulsory; imperative: as, imperious 
circumstances ; an imperious necessity. 
Imperious need, which cannot be withstood, 
Makes 111 authentic for a greater good. 
Dryden, Hind and Panther, iii. 837. 
The newspaper is as imperious as a ukase ; it will be 
had, and it will be read. 
0. W. Bolmes, Old Vol. of Life, p. 6. 
=Syn. 2. Authoritative, Dogmatic, etc. (see magisterial), 
tyrannical, despotic, wilful, determined. 2 and 3. 1m- 
perious, Imperative. Imperious applies to the spirit or 
manner of the person ruling or giving a command, and of 
rule in general ; imperative, to the nature of a command. 
An imperiitus person isdetermined to have his will obeyed ; 
imperious rule is characterized by the haughty, overbear- 
ing, and determined nature of the ruler. An imperative 
command is absolute, express, peremptory, and not to be 
questioned or evaded. Imperative is not properly appli- 
cable to persons. 
The knight 
Had vizor up, and show'd a youthful face, 
Imperious, and of haughtiest lineaments. 
Tennyson, Geraint. 
No theory could be conceived more audacious than the 
one rendered imperative by circumstances. 
De Quincey, Secret Societies, ii. 
imperiously (im-pe'ri-us-li), adv. If. Imperi- 
ally; in imperial state. 
Within their beloved Priapus is imperiously enthronized 
upon a Brasen Mount. 
S. Clarke, Geographical Descriptions (1671X p. 29. 
2. In an imperious manner; commandingly ; 
dictatorially ; with pressing urgency, 
imperiousness (im-pe'ri-us-nes), n. The quali- 
ty of being imperious ; arrogance; haughtiness; 
urgency. 
Imperiousiwss and severity is an ill way of treating men 
who have reason to guide them. Locke. 
imperishability (im-per"i-sha-biri-ti), n. [= 
F. imperissabilite ; as imperishable + -ity: see 
-l)ility.~] The character or quality of being im- 
perishable. 
imperishable (im-per'i-sha-bl), a. [= F. im~ 
perissable; as in- 3 + perishable.] Not perish- 
able; not subject to destruction or decay; in- 
destructible ; enduring permanently : as, an im- 
perisliable monument ; imperishable renown. 
Incapable of mortal injury, 
Imperishable; and, though pierced with wound, 
Soon closing, and by native vigour heal'd. 
Milton, P. L., vi. 435. 
imperishableness (im-per'i-sha-bl-nes), -n. The 
quality of being imperishable. 
imperishably (im-per'i-sha-bli), adv. So as to 
be imperishable. 
Still light my thoughts, nor listen to a prayer 
Would make thee less imperishably fair ! 
Lowell, Endymion, i. 
imperium (im-pe'ri-um), . ; pi. imperia (-a). 
[L. : see imperial, empire."] 1. In Rom. antiq., 
a military chief command ; specifically, the au- 
thority to command the national military forces, 
conferred by a special law upon a general or 
upon the governor of a province. See imperator. 
Before setting out for his province, the governor, clad in 
the purple military robe of his office, offered sacrifice on 
the Capitol; then immediately after receiving theimperi- 
um or military command he marched out of the city (for 
the imperium could only be exercised outside of Rome and 
was forfeited by staying in the city). 
Eneyc. Brit., XIX. 885. 
2. Empire; an empire Imperium in Imperio 
[L.], an empire within an empire; a state within a state. 
No State or Federal Government would willingly consti- 
tute an imperium in imperio formed of one race unit. 
Contemporary Rev., L. 133. 
impermanence (im-per'ma-nens), . [= F. im- 
permanence = Sp. Pg. impermanencia ; as impcr- 
manen(t) + -ce.~] Want of permanence or con- 
tinued duration. 
Melancholy impermanence of human blessings. 
Seward, Letters (1796), iv. 264. 
The deplorable impermanence of first impressions. 
H. James, Jr., Trans. Sketches, p. 144. 
impermanency (im-per'ma-nen-si), n. Same 
as impermanence. 
Distilling out of the serious contemplation of the muta- 
bility of all worldly happiness a remedy against the evil of 
that fickleness and impermanency. 
W. Montague, Devoute Essays, I. vL 2. 
impermanent (im-per'ma-nent), a. [= F. im- 
permanent = Sp. Pg. impermanente ; as in- 3 + 
permanent.'] Not permanent ; not enduring. 
We conclude, That Adam is here condemned toamortal, 
flitting and impermanent state, till he reach his ajthereal or 
pure fiery vehicle. Dr. H. More, Def. of Phil. Cabbala, iii. 
impermeability (im-per"me-a-bil'i-ti), n. [= 
F. impermeability = Sp. imp'ermeabilidad = Pg. 
impermeabilidade = It. impermeabilita ; as ini- 
impersonality 
permeable + -ity: see -bility.] The character 
or property of being impermeable ; impermea- 
bleness. 
impermeable (im-per'me-a-bl), a. [= F. im- 
permeable = Sp. impermeable = Pg. impermea- 
vel = It. impermeabile ; as j- 3 + permeable.] 
Not permeable ; not permitting the passage 
of a fluid (especially water) through its sub- 
stance. 
The sandy soil of the Landes of Gascony is malarious. 
At a depth of about three feet is an impermeable stratum, 
brown in color and strong in structure, known as the 
alios. Buck's Handbook of Med. Sciences, IV. 621. 
impermeableness (im-per'me-a-bl-nes), n. 
The state of being impermeable. 
impermeably (im-per'me-a-bli), adv. In an im- 
permeable manner. 
impermeator (im-per'me-a-tor), n. [< L. in, in, 
+ LL. penneator, one who passes through : see 
permcator."] In a steam-engine, an instrument 
or device for forcing oil uniformly into the cyl- 
inder for lubricating the walls of the cylinder 
and the piston. This term has been recently adopt- 
ed to distinguish this class of lubricators from those which 
supply oil through a wick or by the action of gravity. Im- 
permeators afe constructed on various principles. Con- 
densed water accumulating in a reservoir from steam ad- 
mitted through a small pipe, and uniformly displacing oil 
from the reservoir, and causing it to flow through a duct 
into the cylinder, has been successfully used. Mechani- 
cal Impermeator, a combined receptacle and force- 
pump, the action of which uniformly supplies oil to the 
cylinder of a steam-engine. The gearing of one form of 
impermeator consists of a ratchet-lever worked from the 
nearest valve-rod, which operates a nut fitted to a screw 
on a plunger, thus moving the plunger a definite distance, 
and forcing into the cylinder a specific quantity of oil at 
each revolution of the crank-shaft. 
impermissible (im-per-mis'i-bl), a. [< in- 3 + 
permissible.] Not permissible; not to be per- 
mitted or allowed. [Rare.] 
imperscrutable (im-per-skro'ta-bl), a. [= F. 
imperscrutable = Sp. imperscrutable = It. im- 
perscrutabite ; as i- 3 + pcrscrutable.'] Not ca- 
pable of being searched out. 
imperscrutableness (im-per-skro'ta-bl-nes), n. 
The state of not being capable of scrutiny. 
imperseverant (im-per-se-ver'ant), a. [= It. 
impersevei-ante; as t- 3 + perseverant.'] Not 
persevering; inconstant. [In the following 
passage perhaps used in the opposite sense, 
im- being taken as intensive. 
This imperseverant thing loves him iu my despite. 
Shak., Cymbelfne, iv. 1.] 
impersistent (im-per-sis'tent), a. [< i-3 + 
persistent.'] Not persistent or enduring. 
The unconformity in this case is, however, indicated 
... by the occurrence at the line of junction of an 
eroded and impersistent bed of hard, fine-grained, Coal- 
measure sandstone ("cank"). Geol. Jour., XLV. i. 7. 
impersonal (im-per'son-al), a. and . [= F. im- 
personnel = Pr. Sp. impersonal = Pg. impessoal 
= It. impersonale, < NL. impersonalis, < L. in- 
priv. + personalis, personal: see personal.] I. 
a. Not personal, (a) Not existing or manifested as 
a person ; having no conscious individuality ; not endued 
with personality. 
Impersonall, . . . L. Impersonalis. Mingheu, 1617. 
Dark creed, and mournful eastern dream 
Of power, impersonal and cold. 
Whittier, Questions of Life. 
Routine work was credited to the assistants in charge, 
and not to the impersoiw.1 office. Science, IX. 334. 
(6) Not relating to a person, or to any particular person 
or persons ; having no personal reference ; not bearing 
the stamp of any particular personality : as, an imperson- 
al remark. 
Even love, which is the deification of persons, must be- 
come more impersonal every day. Emermn. 
What I long for is knowledge some other knowledge 
than comes to us in formal, colorless, impersonal precept. 
H. James, Jr., Pass. Pilgrim, p. 200. 
(c) In gram., said of a verb not used with a personal sub- 
ject, or employed to express action without specification 
of an actor, and hence used only in the third person, und 
either without a subject expressed, or with only the indef- 
inite it (French il, German es, etc.) : thus, Latin me tanlet, 
French il m'ennuie, German es drgert mich, it irks me ; or 
German mich 'dunkt, methinks that is, (to) me (it) seems 
(methinks is nearly the sole relic left in English of the 
pure impersonal construction without subject) ; or it ram* 
that is, rain is going on ; or Latin pugnatur, it is fought 
that is, fighting is going on. In many quasi-impersonal 
phrases the it is a grammatical subject, anticipating a 
logical subject that comes later : thus, it hurts one to 
fall that is, falling hurts one ; and so on. 
Wher note that verbes impersonalles he oftentimes 
turned into personalles. Udall, Flowres, fol. 11. 
II. n. That which wants personality ; an im- 
personal verb. 
Impersonate be declined throughout all moods ami 
tenses ; a verb impersonal hath no nominative case be- 
fore him. Johnson, Eng. Gram., Accidence. 
impersonality (im-per-so-nari-ti), n. [= F. 
impersonnalite = Sp. impersonalidail = Pg. im- 
