im•pe•ri•um
Pronunciation: (im-pēr'ē-um), [key]
— pl. -pe•ri•a -pe•ri•ums.
- command; supreme power.
- area of dominion; sphere of control or monopoly; empire.
- a nation having or exerting supreme power; superpower.
- the right to command the force of the state in order to enforce the law.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.