View source for Imperative - imperial - imperious

The three [[adjective]]s '''imperative''', '''imperial''' and '''imperious''' are not [[synonym]]s, although they share a [[etymological root|root]] in the [[Latin]] ''imperare'', 'to command'. An ''imperator'' was originally the commander-in-chief, or a general, in the Roman army: after the end of the Roman Republic, it became the favourite [[epithet]] of the Emperors, so that its most usual translation into English is 'Emperor' - itself derived from ''imperator''.

*'''Imperative''' means 'commanding', or 'necessary', with a suggestion of urgency: "Your mother is ill: it is '''imperative''' that you come at once". It has certain technical uses in philosophy; but to users of AWE its most useful application is likely to be in [[linguistic]] usage. Here it is most commonly used as a [[noun]]. The '''imperative''' is one of the [[mood]]s of the [[verb]]: see [[imperative mood]].
*'''Imperial''' is the nearest of these three words to its original meaning. It is (or can be) a fairly neutral way of describing 'to do with Empire', and can be found in the studies of History and Politics. For people with some beliefs, it is not very neutral. '''Imperialists''' (those who believe in Empire, and, particularly in Britain the British Empire, among people who grew up in it) regard '''imperialism''' as a noble and worthwhile belief. Among those who have been subjugated by an Empire, or whose independence is threatened by it, of course, '''imperialism''' is a bullying and arrogant creed that must be resisted. Be careful to try to understand the sense in which it is being used in any text in which you find it.
**'''Imperial measures''' are the traditional measures used in Britain (and the former Empire) such as yards, feet and inches; gallons, fluid ounces and pints; acres and square miles etc. (There is a fairly full account of this in Wikipedia at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_unit&oldid=209747122]].) The imperial system is in distinction from the '''metric system''', best known as '''SI''' (French ''système international'') and US customary units (sometimes called 'imperial units', though it has diverged from the measures current in the UK).
*The prevailing modern sense of '''Imperious''', says ''[[OED]]'', is "Overbearing, domineering, dictatorial." It is a word used to describe behaviour and attitude, etc, nearly always at a personal level. It is not a compliment.

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