Large groups of countries or territories controlled by a single ruler or government; or vast business organizations.
From Latin 'imperium' meaning 'power' or 'command,' derived from 'imperare' (to command). The term came through Old French into Middle English as 'empire.'
The British Empire covered a quarter of the world's surface—an area so vast that it was said the sun never set on it. What's shocking is that this control happened almost by accident, with Britain initially just wanting to trade, then gradually taking over until they ruled the world's largest empire ever.
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