conquer

verb

con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering ˈkäŋ-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to gain or acquire by force of arms : subjugate
conquer territory
2
: to overcome by force of arms : vanquish
conquered the enemy
3
: to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles or opposition
conquered the mountain
4
: to overcome by mental or moral power : surmount
conquered her fear

intransitive verb

: to be victorious
Choose the Right Synonym for conquer

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of conquer in a Sentence

And my girlfriends are really strong, feminine women—yet we can all be girls together. Some days we just have to go out and shop, get a massage …  . The next day we want to conquer the world and start our own company. Sandra Bullock, quoted in Playboy, September 1995
After her initial passionate prayer of thanks for the strength to conquer her vast disappointment, she stayed on her knees, the hassock comfortable … James Clavell, Gai-Jin, (1993) 1994
It used to be that men "conquered" mountains in a cacophony of gratuitous chest-thumping. Tim Cahill, New York Times Book Review, 10 June 1990
But however vile the movie, the sentiments it embodies are (as they say) American as apple pie: the west was something to be conquered and claimed. Margaret Atwood, Survival, 1972
The city was conquered by the ancient Romans. They conquered all their enemies. He finally conquered his drug habit. Scientists believe the disease can be conquered.
Recent Examples on the Web Equipped with the latest gear and a thirst for adventure, mountaineers embrace the perils that come with conquering the world’s highest peaks. Brian Strickland, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 For Russia’s bid to conquer Ukraine, this year’s U.S. election stakes couldn’t be higher. David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 For Russia's bid to conquer Ukraine, this year's U.S. election stakes couldn't be higher. David Klepper, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 Accompanying Zuko on his mission is Iroh, a renowned general and former heir to the crown who’d spent years at the front lines of the Fire Nation’s ongoing war to conquer the other nations. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 After Tenerife — the last island to be conquered — fell to Spain, the conquerors dispersed the Guanche population across the world as slaves. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 In their wake, the George W. Bush administration decided to solve not only the terrorism problem but the Iraq one as well, choosing to conquer the country and forcibly eliminate Saddam’s regime. Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Baku completely conquered the enclave in a lightning military offensive on Sept. 19, which resulted in the entire ethnic Armenian population of over 100,000 people fleeing in terror to Armenia, causing a humanitarian crisis. Paul Iddon, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 In 1967, Israel conquered Gaza, along with the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conquer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to acquire, conquer, from Anglo-French conquerre, from Vulgar Latin *conquaerere, alteration of Latin conquirere to search for, collect, from com- + quaerere to ask, search

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conquer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conquer

Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conquer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conquer

verb
con·​quer ˈkäŋ-kər How to pronounce conquer (audio)
conquered; conquering -k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce conquer (audio)
1
: to get or gain by force of arms
conquer a country
2
: to defeat by force of arms
conquered all their enemies
3
: overcome sense 1, subdue
conquer a habit
4
: to be victorious
conqueror noun

More from Merriam-Webster on conquer

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