conquest
B2Formal, historical, journalistic, literary. Also used in casual speech metaphorically (e.g., romantic conquest).
Definition
Meaning
The act of taking control of a place or people by military force; a victory achieved through force.
The successful gaining of something desired (e.g., victory in a sport, romantic pursuit, or personal goal). Also refers to the territory or people conquered.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can be a process (the act of conquering) or a result (the thing conquered). Often implies a decisive, powerful victory, sometimes with negative connotations of subjugation. The metaphorical use (e.g., 'a conquest at the party') can be mildly humorous or pejorative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or grammatical differences. Both use the term in historical, military, and metaphorical contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, historical/military usage carries weight. Casual metaphorical use (e.g., 'romantic conquest') can be seen as slightly old-fashioned or objectifying.
Frequency
Similar frequency. Slightly more common in UK in historical contexts (e.g., Norman Conquest).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the conquest of [territory/people]make a conquest of [someone/something][someone's] conquestVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a conquest of hearts”
- “to make a conquest of someone (romantic/figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Could be used metaphorically: 'The company's conquest of the Asian market was swift.'
Academic
Common in history, political science, and literature: 'Analysing the cultural impact of the Roman conquest.'
Everyday
Mostly metaphorical or in fixed phrases: 'He considered getting a promotion his latest conquest.' 'We studied the Norman Conquest in school.'
Technical
In gaming/esports: 'completing a conquest' as a game objective. In geology: 'conquest of a summit.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'Conquest' is not a verb. The verb is 'conquer'.
- The army sought to conquer the region.
American English
- 'Conquest' is not a verb. Use 'conquer'.
- They managed to conquer their fears.
adverb
British English
- No common adverb derived directly from 'conquest'. 'Conqueringly' is extremely rare.
- He smiled conqueringly (archaic).
American English
- No standard adverb. Use phrases like 'in a conquering manner'.
- The team advanced, seemingly conquerors.
adjective
British English
- The conquest era policies were brutal.
- He had a conquest-like mentality.
American English
- Post-conquest societies faced many challenges.
- Her conquest attitude helped in sales.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The history book had a chapter about the Roman conquest.
- The football team's conquest was amazing!
- The conquest of the island took three years.
- She viewed learning to drive as a personal conquest.
- The cultural assimilation following the conquest was a complex process.
- His charm made him successful in his romantic conquests.
- Post-colonial literature often grapples with the psychological legacy of conquest.
- The scientist described the discovery as the final conquest of that particular frontier of physics.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a QUEST to CONquer a place or person. CONQUEST.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOVE/SUCCESS IS WAR (romantic/sporting conquest); KNOWLEDGE IS A TERRITORY TO BE CONQUERED (conquest of science).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'конквест' for modern competitions – use 'competition' or 'contest'. 'Conquest' implies force/subjugation, not just winning a prize. 'Покорение вершин' is better as 'ascent of peaks' or 'climbing peaks', not 'conquest of peaks'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'conquest' for any win (e.g., *'his conquest in the tennis match' – better: 'victory'). Confusing 'conquest' (noun) with 'conquer' (verb). Incorrect preposition: *'conquest on' (correct: 'conquest of').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'conquest' used most appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. While military conquest often has negative connotations of oppression, metaphorical uses (e.g., 'a conquest in sports' or 'the conquest of space') can be neutral or positive, celebrating achievement.
'Victory' is a general term for winning. 'Conquest' specifically implies taking control of something (land, people, a challenge) through force, effort, or skill. All conquests are victories, but not all victories are conquests.
No. The noun is 'conquest'. The related verb is 'to conquer'. A common mistake is saying 'they conquested the city' instead of 'they conquered the city'.
It is often considered old-fashioned, boastful, or objectifying, as it treats a person as territory to be 'won'. More neutral terms are 'romantic success' or simply 'dating someone'.
Explore