anti-imperialist: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Political
Quick answer
What does “anti-imperialist” mean?
A person or a policy that is opposed to imperialism—the extension of a country's power through military force or economic and political influence over other nations.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person or a policy that is opposed to imperialism—the extension of a country's power through military force or economic and political influence over other nations.
A term that can also describe movements, ideologies, literature, and actions that resist or critique colonial domination, exploitation, and hegemony.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling is consistent (hyphenated). No significant syntactic differences.
Connotations
In British English, the term is strongly associated with historical critiques of the British Empire. In American English, it is often linked to contemporary foreign policy debates and leftist political discourse.
Frequency
More frequent in US political/academic discourse due to ongoing foreign policy debates.
Grammar
How to Use “anti-imperialist” in a Sentence
[be] an anti-imperialist[adopt/vote for] an anti-imperialist policy[write from] an anti-imperialist perspectiveVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anti-imperialist” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The party pledged to anti-imperialist the nation's foreign policy. (Rare/Non-standard)
American English
- The movement seeks to anti-imperialist our economic relations. (Rare/Non-standard)
adverb
British English
- The tract argued anti-imperialistically for complete withdrawal. (Very rare)
American English
- He spoke anti-imperialistically about the need for sovereignty. (Very rare)
adjective
British English
- She wrote a penetrating anti-imperialist critique of Victorian literature.
American English
- The senator took a strong anti-imperialist stance on the new defense bill.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could appear in critiques of corporate neo-colonialism.
Academic
Common in political science, history, post-colonial studies, and international relations.
Everyday
Uncommon. Used in politically engaged discussions.
Technical
Used as a specific analytical category in political theory.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anti-imperialist”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “anti-imperialist”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anti-imperialist”
- Misspelling as 'antiimperialist' (needs hyphen).
- Confusing with 'anti-capitalist' (related but distinct).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not inherently negative. Its evaluation depends entirely on the speaker's perspective. To some, it describes a principled stance; to others, an unpatriotic or naive one.
They are closely related. 'Anti-colonial' specifically opposes the direct political control of colonies. 'Anti-imperialist' is broader, opposing both formal colonies and informal economic, political, or cultural domination.
Yes, 'anti-imperialist' is the standard hyphenated form because the prefix 'anti-' is attached to another word beginning with 'i'. This follows the common rule for readability (anti-ice, anti-imperialist).
No, it is not a standard verb. It is primarily a noun (a person) or an adjective (describing a policy, view, etc.). Attempts to verbify it are rare and non-standard.
A person or a policy that is opposed to imperialism—the extension of a country's power through military force or economic and political influence over other nations.
Anti-imperialist is usually formal, academic, political in register.
Anti-imperialist: in British English it is pronounced /ˌæn.ti.ɪmˈpɪə.ri.ə.lɪst/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌæn.t̬i.ɪmˈpɪr.i.ə.lɪst/ / ˌæn.taɪ-/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ANTI- (against) IMPERIAL-ist (someone building an empire). You are against empire-builders.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESISTANCE IS A FORCE (e.g., 'the tide of anti-imperialist struggle').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'anti-imperialist' LEAST likely to be used?