conquer

English

Alternative forms

• conquire (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, from Late Latin conquaerere (“to knock, strike; to search for, procure”), from Latin con- + quaerere (“to seek, acquire”). Displaced native Old English oferwinnan.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒŋkə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑŋkɚ/
• Hyphenation: con‧quer
• Rhymes: -ɒŋkə(ɹ)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: conker

Verb

conquer (third-person singular simple present conquers, present participle conquering, simple past and past participle conquered)

1. To defeat in combat; to subjugate.
   • 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: Elkin Mathews, , →OCLC, page 88:

     I lay in the desert beyond all cities and sounds, and above me flowed the River of Silence through the sky; and on the desert’s edge night fought against the Sun, and suddenly conquered.

2. To acquire by force of arms, win in war; to become ruler of; to subjugate.

   In 1453, the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople.

   • 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: Richard Field, , →OCLC; 2nd edition, London: Richard Field, , 1594, →OCLC, [verse 17], lines :

     I haue beene wooed, as I intreat thee now, / Euen by the ſterne, and direfull God of warre, / VVhoſe ſinowie necke in battel nere did bow, / VVho conquers where he comes in euery iarre; […]

   • 1714, Alexander Pope, Imitation of Horace, Book II. Sat. 6:

     We conquer'd France, but felt our captive's charms.

   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World , London, New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     "Look at Clive - just a clerk, and he conquered India!"

   • 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment‎, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 170:

     Taiwan's interests and Hong Kong's political and economic future are best served by close ties between their friends in the West and Beijing. For example, the fact that the PRC must choose between using force to conquer Taiwan and forfeiting its relationship with the United States is the best guarantee of Taipei's security.

3. To overcome an abstract obstacle.

   Today I conquered my fear of flying by finally boarding a plane.

   to conquer difficulties or temptations

   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: J. M for John Starkey , →OCLC, page 1:

     By winning words to conquer willing hearts, / And make persuasion do the work of fear.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.

4. (dated) To gain, win, or obtain by effort.

   to conquer freedom;   to conquer a peace

Conjugation

Derived terms

Translations