LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

imperātor

imperātor m (genitive imperātōris, feminine imperātrīx)
Classical[ɪm.pɛˈraː.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[im.peˈraː.tor]
№ 723 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. commander, general, chief, master, person in charge
  2. emperor, ruler, commander-in-chief

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

summus dux exercitūs; mīlitēs eī pārent.
imperātor -ōris m — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma
emperor
imperātor -ōris — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 24, 26

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeimperātorimperātōrēs
genitiveimperātōrisimperātōrum
dativeimperātōrīimperātōribus
accusativeimperātōremimperātōrēs
ablativeimperātōreimperātōribus
vocativeimperātorimperātōrēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

alicui imperatori succedere
to succeed some one as general.

impĕrātor (inp-), ōris (archaic form induperator, Enn. Ann. v. 86; 332; 350; 552 Vahl.; Lucr. 4, 967; 5, 1227; cf. 1.
I. init.; but in Enn. also imperator, Trag. v. 34 Vahl.), m. id..
I. Orig., milit. t. t., a commander-in-chief, general, = στρατηγός (cf.: dux, ductor).
A. In gen.: si forte quaereretur, quae esset ars imperatoris, constituendum putarem principio, quis esset imperator: qui cum esset constitutus administrator quidam belli gerendi, tum adjungeremus de exercitu, de castris, etc.... de reliquis rebus, quae essent propriae belli administrandi: quarum qui essent animo et scientia compotes, eos esse imperatores dicerem, utererque exemplis Africanorum et Maximorum; Epaminondam atque Hannibalem atque ejus generis homines nominarem, Cic. de Or. 1, 48, 210: aliae sunt legati partes, aliae imperatoris: alter omnia agere ad praescriptum, alter libere ad summam rerum consulere debet, Caes. B. C. 3, 51, 4: sapiens et callidus imperator, Cic. Inv. 1, 34, 58: bonus ac fortis, id. de Or. 2, 44, 187; cf.: egregie fortis et bonus, id. ib. 2, 66, 268: eosdem labores non aeque esse graves imperatori et militi, id. Tusc. 2, 26, 62: ego sic existimo in summo imperatore quatuor has res inesse oportere, scientiam rei militaris, virtutem, auctoritatem, felicitatem, etc., id. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 28: unum ad id bellum imperatorem deposci, id. ib. 2, 5: nomen invicti imperatoris, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 38, § 82: Themistocles ... imperator bello Persico, id. Lael. 12, 42: cum pro se quisque in conspectu imperatoris ... operam navare cuperet, Caes. B. G. 2, 25 fin.: insece, Musa, manu Romanorum induperator Quod quisque in bello gessit cum rege Philippo, Enn. ap. Gell. 18, 9, 3 (Ann. v. 332 Vahl.): induperatores pugnare ac proelia obire, Lucr. 4, 967.—As a title, placed after the name: M. Cicero S. D. C. Antonio M. F. Imp., Cic. Fam. 5, 5 inscr.: Cn. Pompeio Cn. F. Magno Imperatori, id. ib. 5, 7 inscr.: Vatinio Imp. S., id. ib. 5, 11 et saep. —
B. In partic., pregn., in the times of the republic, a title of honor conferred on a general after any important victory: his rebus gestis Curio se in castra ad Bagradam recepit, atque universi exercitus conclamatione Imperator appellatur, Caes. B. C. 2, 26, 1; cf.: Pompeius eo proelio Imperator est appellatus, id. ib. 3, 71, 3; Cic. Phil. 14, 4, 11; 14, 5, 12; Caes. B. C. 3, 31, 1; Liv. 27, 19, 4; Inscr. Orell. 542; 3417 sq. (cf. also Plin. Pan. 12, 1).—
II. Transf. beyond the milit. sphere.
A. In gen., a commander, leader, chief, director, ruler, master: (Romani) immutato more annua imperia, binos imperatores sibi fecere, i. e. consuls, Sall. C. 6, 7: (vis venti) Induperatorem classis super aequora verrit, admiral, Lucr. 5, 1227: imperator histricus, director, manager, Plaut. Poen. prol. 4: di te servassint semper ... salus interioris hominis amorisque inperator, id. As. 3, 3, 66: familiae, id. Capt. 2, 2, 57: nolo eundem populum imperatorem et portitorem esse terrarum, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 24, 22 (Rep. 4, 7 Mos.): dux et imperator vitae mortalium animus est, Sall. J. 1, 3: vitae nostrae necisque, Plin. 29, 1, 5, § 11.—
B. In partic.
1. An epithet of Jupiter, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 58, § 129: signum Jovis Imperatoris, Liv. 6, 29, 8.—
2. The conqueror at a game of chess, Vop. Proc. 13, 2.—
3. The title of the Roman emperors, placed either before or after the name (cf. I.); before it, Suet. Caes. 76; Claud. 12; 26: IMP. CAESARI DIVI IVLI F., Inscr. Orell. 596; so ib. 597; 600; 602; 604 sq.; after it, Suet. Oth. 2; Plin. 5, 2, 1, § 20; Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 9; 4, 17, 8; 4, 22, 4.—Hence afterwards absol.: Imperator, a Roman emperor, Tac. A. 3, 74: velut praesagium insequentis casus, quo medius inter utriusque filios exstitit Imperator, Suet. Galb. 6; id. Claud. 13; 29; id. Galb. 3, 6, 20; id. Vit. 3 et saep.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinimperātor

Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₃o- Latin *paro- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin parō Latin imperō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin imperātor From imperō + -tor.

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanemperador
  • Occitanemperaire
  • Occitanemperador
  • Franco-Provençalemperor
  • Old Frenchempereor
Elsewhere
  • Romanianîmpăratfrom Vulgar Latin *imperātus
  • Englishmpretfrom Vulgar Latin *imperātus
  • Englishmbretfrom Vulgar Latin *imperātus
  • Megleno-Romanianạmpiratfrom Vulgar Latin *imperātus
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseimperadorfrom Old Galician-Portuguese emperador
  • Spanishemperadorfrom Old Spanish emperador
  • Asturianemperador
  • Galicianemperadorfrom Old Galician-Portuguese emperador
Italo-Romance
  • Italianimperatore
  • Sicilianmpiraturi
Borrowings
  • Romanianimperator
  • Oscan𐌄𐌌𐌁𐌓𐌀𐌕𐌖𐌓
  • Turkishimparatorfrom Ottoman Turkish ایمپراطور
  • Polishimperator
  • Proto-Brythonic*ɨmperọdr
  • Russianимператор
  • Ukrainianімператор
Padanian
  • Emilianinperatåur
  • Friulianimperadôr
  • Lombardimperador
  • Piedmonteseimperador
  • Venetaninperadore

Quick answers

What does imperātor mean in Latin?
imperātor, a noun, means “commander, general, chief, master, person in charge; emperor, ruler, commander-in-chief”.
What is the genitive of imperātor?
The genitive singular is imperātōris. imperātor is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce imperātor?
In classical Latin, [ɪm.pɛˈraː.tɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [im.peˈraː.tor].
Where does imperātor come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én → Proto-Italic *en → Proto-Italic *en- → Latin imperātor.