On the limits of empire

Abstract What are empires and are they qualitatively different from other political forms like the state? Empire is a contested term. It is used in different and inconsistent ways in not only the lay discourse, but also in the social sciences. I contend that there is no stable definition, and that the employed meaning of empire by academics variously stresses purpose, process, and different aspects of structure. These usages can be contradictory because each meaning implies different conceptual limits to the concept of empire, resulting in surprising outcomes in terms of what counts. I do not argue that one meaning should be adopted over others; the term is contested, and scholars will employ the meaning that is consistent with their research agenda. However, I caution that conceptual stretching is bound to happen if scholars adopt a meaning from one discourse and apply it elsewhere.