# conquer

Pronunciation: US say "KONG-kur" /ˈkɑŋkɚ/; UK say "KONG-kuh" /ˈkɒŋkə/

## Verb

1. To defeat an enemy in combat and bring them under one's control; to subjugate.
   - Simple: To beat an enemy in a fight or war and take control of them.
   - _The Spartans believed no army could conquer them on open ground._
   - _Caesar's legions conquered the Gallic tribes after years of brutal campaigning._
2. To overcome an abstract obstacle, such as a fear, weakness, or difficulty.
   - Simple: To win against something difficult, like a fear or a bad habit.
   - _Therapy helped him conquer the anxiety that had kept him from traveling._
   - _Conquering an addiction often takes years of patient, repeated effort._
3. To acquire territory by force of arms; to win a place in war and become its ruler.
   - Simple: To take a country or land by war and become its ruler.
   - _William of Normandy conquered England in 1066 and was crowned its king._
   - _The sultan vowed to conquer the coastal cities and bring their trade under his rule._

## Verb

4. To gain, win, or obtain something through one's own effort or perseverance. *(dated)*
   - Simple: To win or get something by trying very hard for it.
   - _He resolved to conquer fame through his pen alone._
   - _Through quiet kindness, the new governess conquered the affection of the whole household._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, which traces back to Late Latin conquaerere ("to knock, strike; to search for, procure"), formed from Latin con- plus quaerere ("to seek, acquire"). It replaced the native Old English word oferwinnan.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/conquer (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).