empire
n. countablen. a large group of countries or territories ruled by a single powerful leader or government. It can also describe a very large and successful business controlled by one person.
n. a major political unit in which a single sovereign authority exercises control over a vast territory or multiple diverse nations. Also used metaphorically to describe an extensive commercial organisation under the control of a single individual or family.
The Roman Empire lasted for hundreds of years.
The CEO spent decades building a global media empire that includes newspapers, television stations, and film studios.
Historians often debate whether the decline of an empire is caused by external pressures or by the gradual erosion of its internal institutions and economic stability.
When referring to a specific historical entity, such as the British Empire, the word is capitalised.