# Conquest

/ˈkɑŋkwɛst/ (US) · /kˈɒnkwɛst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conquest
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. military victory

noun · CEFR B2

the act of taking control of a country or area by winning a war.

For teachers: the act or instance of achieving victory through combat; the subjugation of an enemy or territory.

- The Roman conquest of Britain changed the island's culture for centuries.
- Historians continue to debate the long-term social consequences of the Norman conquest on the English legal system.

### 2. overcoming a challenge

noun · CEFR B2

the act of successfully dealing with a difficult problem or reaching a hard goal.

For teachers: the act of gaining control or mastery over a non-military obstacle or field of study.

- The conquest of the world's highest mountain was a dream for many climbers.
- The rapid conquest of smallpox remains one of the greatest achievements in the history of modern medicine.

### 3. romantic success

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Humorous

a person that you have successfully persuaded to love you or have sex with you.

For teachers: a person whose romantic or sexual affections have been won, often used with a predatory or competitive connotation.

- He liked to brag about his latest romantic conquest to his friends.
- She was tired of being treated as just another conquest and sought a more meaningful relationship.

Teaching tip: This sense can sound cynical or objectifying; use with caution depending on the social context.

### 4. gaming mode

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a type of game where teams try to capture and hold specific areas on a map.

For teachers: a competitive multiplayer mode, typically in shooters, where teams vie for control of specific points or territories.

- We spent the whole evening playing conquest mode on the new desert map.
- The latest patch adjusted the scoring mechanics in conquest to prevent one team from dominating the match too early.

## Examples

- The army celebrated their conquest of the city.
- The historical museum features an exhibit on the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
- While the military conquest was swift, the cultural integration of the two nations took several decades of careful diplomacy and shared trade.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.