Imperial carries the implication of royalty, usually pertaining to an empire; the emperor or empress is referred to as "your imperial highness."
The word imperial has a lofty feel, and though it's often used of royalty, it is sometimes used to refer to anything extremely large or impressive. It was once the name of a large suitcase that was too big to fit inside a coach and so was tied on top. Think of something imperial as being something so upper-class that it's almost to the point of royalty — and sometimes almost to the point of being a joke.
1 |
adjn |
relating to or associated with an empire
a small tufted beard worn by Emperor Napoleon III
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2 |
adj |
of or belonging to the British Imperial System of weights and measures
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3 |
n |
a piece of luggage carried on top of a coach
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