Definition

Proper noun A French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and its associated wars, becoming Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814, and again briefly in 1815. He is one of the most celebrated and controversial figures in modern European history, known for his significant impact on military strategy, law, and the political order of Europe.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French in 1804.
  • The military tactics of Napoleon Bonaparte are still studied in war colleges today.
  • Many European nations formed coalitions to oppose Napoleon Bonaparte.

Advanced Usage

• "Napoleonic": An adjective derived from his name, used to describe things related to his reign, style, or era.
  • The Napoleonic Wars reshaped the continent's borders.
  • He had a Napoleonic vision for reorganizing the legal system, resulting in the Napoleonic Code.

Variants and Related Words

• Napoleon I: His official imperial title.
• Bonapartism: A political ideology based on the ideas of Napoleon Bonaparte, often associated with strong centralized government and military influence.
• The Napoleonic Era: The period of French and European history dominated by his influence, roughly from 1799 to 1815.

Synonyms

• Napoleon I
• The Emperor Napoleon
• The Corsican (a reference to his birthplace, the island of Corsica)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To meet one's Waterloo": This idiom, derived from Napoleon's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, means to suffer a decisive and final defeat or failure.
  • After a string of successes, the company finally met its Waterloo with the failed product launch.

Noun

1. French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)