Roman Empire

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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The sense "something that one frequently thinks about" is a reference to the "How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire?" meme, popularized on Instagram and TikTok around September 2023.[1][2]

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɹəʊmən ˈɛmpaɪə/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɹoʊmən ˈɛmpaɪɚ/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Proper noun

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the Roman Empire

  1. (historical) The empire which succeeded the Roman Republic and existed between 27 B.C.E. and 476 C.E. in the west (and until 1453 C.E. in the east; see Byzantine Empire), encompassing territories stretching from Britain and Germany to Spain, North Africa and the Persian Gulf. [from 15th c.]
    Synonym: Rome (metonymically)
    Coordinate terms: Roman Kingdom; Roman Republic; Western Roman Empire; Byzantine Empire (Byzantium, Eastern Roman Empire)
  2. (historical, now rare) The Holy Roman Empire. [from 16th c.]

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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Roman Empire (plural Roman Empires)

  1. (Internet slang) An unexpected or apparently random topic that one frequently thinks about.
    • 2023 September 18, @fleabagreact, Twitter[1], archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      the dinner party episode from fleabag is my roman empire
    • 2023 October 4, u/Soggy_Biscuit_, “Whats your version of the Roman empire?”, in Reddit[2], r/popculturechat, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      Yeah we had a big convo about this at work. I work in a pharmacy which is like 90% women (it's the best) and we collectively decided our "Roman empire" is either Genghis Khan or blood clots, and the teenage version was toxic shock syndrome lol
    • 2023 October 15, @lexkwondo, Twitter[3], archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      No one understands how much I crave this. I yearn for this. This is my Roman Empire. You visualize an apple in your head, I visualize this at all times
    • 2023 October 26, Neia Balao, quoting Alexandra Gulla, “‘The desire to be smaller’: These women reveal that their ‘Roman Empire’ is tied to body image, and others agree”, in Yahoo![4]:
      “My Roman Empire is the fact that I have thought about the desire to be smaller every single day for the past 20 years,” she says in a video posted on Oct. 18.
    • 2023 December 3, u/8Jennyx, “What's a fact you wish you didn't know?”, in Reddit[5], r/AskReddit, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      Prions are my Roman Empire. I swear I think of prions absurdly more than anyone should. The fact that they exist and can do that amount of damage is haunting.
    • 2023 December 5, @GenevaWren38, Twitter[6], archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      I have a rotating set of Roman empires, currently it seems to be Foolish & Philza as a duo cause the amount of feral energy that floods me every time I see something regarding them....I adore them
    • 2023 December 8, Laura Henshaw, “Living Well with Laura Henshaw: body image used to be my Roman Empire”, in Vogue[7]:
      The size of my body used to be my Roman Empire, and I know I’m not alone. [] Body image is consuming. For so many of us, it’s our Roman Empire.
    • 2023 December 17, u/HiLittleDarling, “Let's Discuss, Hollywood Siblings”, in Reddit[8], r/popculturechat, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:
      Wondering why they are feuding can be an occasional Roman Empire for me.
    • 2024 October 1, Marybel Martin, “Halloween is my Roman Empire”, in Marybel Martin[9]:
      So, that is why I say Halloween is my Roman Empire. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it makes my inner child happy. I feel like almost all my art has a whisper of Halloween somehow, don’t you think?

References

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