imperialism
policy of controlling other countries
A way of acting in which a strong country takes control of weaker countries or lands, often far away, and rules or strongly influences them.
[country] pursues/practices [imperialism]
- European imperialism reshaped the political map of Africa in the nineteenth century.
- The novel explores the human cost of British imperialism in India.
- Many leaders in the Global South blame past imperialism for current economic problems.
- The museum includes an exhibit on Japanese imperialism in East Asia.
- They marched through the capital, calling for an end to all forms of imperialism.
- Imperialism allowed rich countries to rule many distant lands.
- Some people see imperialism as the main cause of that war.
- The history teacher spoke about European imperialism in Africa.
- After years of imperialism, the country finally became independent.
dominance without formal political rule
A situation where one country or powerful group strongly controls or influences the culture or economy of another country, even if it does not officially rule it.
[type of] imperialism over [group/region]
- Critics describe the global spread of fast-food chains as a form of cultural imperialism.
- Some economists argue that foreign control of key industries amounts to economic imperialism.
- Activists accused the streaming platform of media imperialism for flooding local markets with foreign content.
- Scholars debate whether digital platforms are creating a new kind of technological imperialism.
- The novelist attacks language imperialism by mixing several local languages in her book.
- Many people see Hollywood movies as a kind of cultural imperialism.
- Some say that big tech companies practice digital imperialism.
- He wrote an article about economic imperialism in poor countries.
- They worry that foreign brands are bringing cultural imperialism to their city.
support for ruling other countries
The political idea that a country should become stronger by taking and controlling other lands or nations.
[someone] is accused of [imperialism]
- His speeches openly defend imperialism as a way to "civilize" other nations.
- Opponents accused the government of thinly veiled imperialism in its foreign policy.
- The textbook includes a chapter on the rise of imperialism in European thought.
- For her, imperialism is not only a policy but a dangerous moral attitude.
- They reject both nationalism and imperialism in favor of international cooperation.
- Some leaders in history strongly believed in imperialism.
- Many young people today say that imperialism is always wrong.
- The party was criticized for its imperialism and love of war.
- He studied how imperialism became popular in Europe.
- Base: imperialism
- Plural: imperialism
age of imperialism
1historical period of strong imperialism
A time in history when many powerful countries were building and keeping large empires, especially in the 1800s and early 1900s.
- The textbook has a chapter called "The Age of Imperialism."
- During the age of imperialism, European powers divided much of Africa among themselves.
- Museums often show objects taken during the age of imperialism.
American imperialism
1imperialism by the United States
Imperialism in which the United States uses political, military, economic, or cultural power to control or strongly influence other countries.
- The film is a sharp critique of American imperialism in Latin America.
- Some historians argue that American imperialism reached its peak after World War II.
- Protesters chanted slogans against war and American imperialism.
colonial imperialism
1imperialism through formal colonies
Imperialism that works mainly by taking land in other parts of the world and turning it into colonies that are ruled by the imperial country.
- The exhibition traces the history of colonial imperialism in Southeast Asia.
- Colonial imperialism often relied on both military power and missionary work.
- Many independence movements arose in reaction to colonial imperialism.
corporate imperialism
1dominance of foreign markets by corporations
A situation where very large companies, often from rich countries, control markets, resources, or workers in other countries.
- Protesters accused the trade deal of encouraging corporate imperialism.
- The book explores how corporate imperialism shapes food systems around the world.
- Some activists see the spread of certain brands as a soft form of corporate imperialism.
cultural imperialism
1dominance of one culture over others
A situation where the culture of a powerful country, such as its language, music, or lifestyle, spreads and pushes out or weakens local cultures in other countries.
- Many people see the global popularity of English pop music as cultural imperialism.
- The government launched a campaign to protect local traditions from cultural imperialism.
- Some critics argue that streaming platforms are new tools of cultural imperialism.
digital imperialism
1dominance by foreign digital platforms
A situation where big technology companies or online services from one country control important parts of the internet and data in many other countries.
- Some policymakers worry about digital imperialism by large foreign tech firms.
- The article calls for new rules to resist digital imperialism in the global South.
- He described the country’s dependence on foreign cloud services as digital imperialism.
economic imperialism
1control over another country’s economy
A situation where a rich or powerful country, or its companies, strongly controls the trade, money, or resources of another country.
- Local activists condemned the trade agreement as a form of economic imperialism.
- Opponents warned that large foreign banks could lead to economic imperialism.
- The documentary explores economic imperialism in the mining industry.
imperialism of free trade
1imperialism via forced open markets
A kind of imperialism in which a strong country pushes weaker countries to open their markets to trade, instead of taking them as formal colonies.
- Some historians describe nineteenth-century British policy as an imperialism of free trade.
- The article asks whether today’s trade rules represent a new imperialism of free trade.
- They argue that the imperialism of free trade can be as powerful as direct colonial rule.
media imperialism
1dominance of foreign media content
A situation where films, TV, news, or other media from one powerful country are so strong in other countries that local media become weaker.
- Scholars have long debated the idea of media imperialism in global communication.
- The rise of local streaming services is seen as a response to media imperialism.
- Media imperialism can limit the variety of voices heard in a society.
military imperialism
1imperialism based on armed force
Imperialism that mainly uses armies, war, or the threat of force to control other countries.
- The government denied that its foreign bases were a form of military imperialism.
- Critics warned that repeated interventions looked like military imperialism.
- The article compares economic pressure with open military imperialism.
new imperialism
1late phase of imperial expansion
A name used by historians for a later period in the 1800s and early 1900s when European countries quickly took many colonies, especially in Africa and Asia.
- The scramble for Africa is often described as part of the new imperialism.
- In class we compared earlier colonialism with the new imperialism of the late nineteenth century.
- The book argues that the new imperialism was driven mainly by economic interests.
Western imperialism
1imperialism by Western powers
Imperialism carried out by Western countries, especially European powers and the United States, in other parts of the world.
- The movement was founded in opposition to Western imperialism.
- Some writers link Western imperialism to modern conflicts in the Middle East.
- The museum’s exhibit focuses on the history of Western imperialism in Africa.