An emperor (through Old French empereor from Latin imperator) is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother (empress dowager), or a woman who rules in her own right (empress regnant). Emperors are generally recognized to be of a higher honor and rank than kings.
Currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only reigning monarch with the title.
Read more about Emperor: Distinction From Other Monarchs, Roman Tradition, Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire, Emperors of Eastern Europe, Pre-Columbian Traditions, Persia, Indian Subcontinent, Oceania, Fictional Uses
Famous quotes containing the word emperor:
“The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“We have resolved to endure the unendurable and suffer what is unsufferable.”
—Hirohito, Emperor Of Japan (1901–1989)
“Even the emperor has straw-sandaled relatives.”
—Chinese proverb.