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Synonyms

conquest

American  
[kon-kwest, kong-] / ˈkɒn kwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

conquests plural
  1. the act or state of conquering or the state of being conquered; vanquishment.

    Synonyms:
    mastery, defeat, subjugation
    Antonyms:
    surrender
  2. the winning of favor, affection, love, etc..

    the conquest of Antony by Cleopatra.

    Synonyms:
    enchantment, seduction
  3. a person whose favor, affection, etc., has been won.

    He's another one of her conquests.

  4. anything acquired by conquering, as a nation, a territory, or spoils.

  5. the Conquest. Norman Conquest.


conquest 1 British  
/ ˈkɒnkwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

  1. the act or an instance of conquering or the state of having been conquered; victory

  2. a person, thing, etc, that has been conquered or won

  3. the act or art of gaining a person's compliance, love, etc, by seduction or force of personality

  4. a person, whose compliance, love, etc, has been won over by seduction or force of personality

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Conquest 2 British  
/ ˈkɒnkwɛst, ˈkɒŋ- /

noun

  1. See Norman Conquest

  2. the conquest by the United Kingdom of French North America, ending in 1763

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See victory.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of conquest

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English conqueste, from Anglo-French, Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin conquēsta (for Latin conquīsīta, feminine past participle of conquīrere ). See con-, quest

Explanation

Alexander the Great's famous conquest of the Persian Empire was an act of conquering. For Casanova, on the other hand, a conquest was an act of seduction. Conquest derives from the Vulgar Latin word conquaerere, meaning "to search for, procure by effort, or win." In addition to its most commonly used meanings — conquering and seduction — conquest has a third, less well-known meaning: a success in mastering something difficult, like the violin, for instance, or flying an airplane.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing conquest

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Before we do a “House of the Dragon” flyby to examine its place in high fantasy’s conquest of TV and film, let’s talk about Sheepstealer.

From Salon Jun. 24, 2026

The comet became one of the most famous symbols associated with the year 1066 and even appears in the Bayeux Tapestry, the medieval artwork depicting the Norman conquest of England.

From Science Daily May 13, 2026

Making it tougher still is sound bleed from a film detailing the 1781 British conquest of the island, a problem that headphones could solve.

From The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2026

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said there was "no diplomatic crisis" with Spain after years of frosty relations over the conquest of the North American nation.

From BBC Apr. 18, 2026

Although the Spaniards’ superior weapons would have assured an ultimate Spanish victory in any case, the capture made the conquest quicker and infinitely easier.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

It is the first time the artefact, which depicts events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and Norman Conquest of England in 1066, has returned to the UK in more than 900 years.

From BBC Jul. 17, 2026

The Conquest would also have been unthinkable without the Spaniards’ alliances with the Aztecs’ aggrieved subjects, who contributed tens of thousands of warriors to the cause.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 14, 2025

His gift for languages -- he spoke French, English and Spanish among others -- meant he was soon appearing in international productions, such as Ridley Scott's historical epic "1492: Conquest of Paradise".

From Barron's Oct. 31, 2025

I should add that Jefferson greatly admired the medieval world before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 ended Anglo-Saxon rule.

From Salon Nov. 10, 2024

The Yunkish Supreme Commander, Yurkhaz zo Yunzak, might have been alive during Aegon’s Conquest, to judge by his appearance.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

The Al-Bass site is centred on a necropolis that dates back three millennia to Tyre's time as a major Phoenician city and was still in use until the Arab conquests of the 7h Century.

From Barron's Mar. 24, 2026

He’s aware that online critics could dispute his conquests, so sometimes he insists on visiting multiple points.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 23, 2026

After 1909, Secretary of State Philander Knox, one of the founders of the United States Steel Corporation, pursued a program of "dollar diplomacy" that promoted American power through overseas investments rather than territorial conquests.

From Salon Mar. 7, 2025

But though these art objects carry the weight of centuries of defeats and conquests, they can’t alone engender a cultural identity.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 1, 2024

The conquests of Alexander in the late fourth century gave the Greeks firsthand experience of Persia, India, and the Asian kingdoms lying between.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

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