imperare

to reign

verb eem-peh-RAH-reh Rare

Origin: From Latin imperare (to command)

Also means

to prevail

Usage Note

Imperare means to rule with authority or to dominate a situation — 'il caos imperò per ore' (chaos reigned for hours). It is intransitive and takes avere. More literary than regnare; often used figuratively for abstract forces that prevail.

Examples

"Il silenzio imperò nella sala."

Natural Translation

Silence reigned in the hall.

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