antiemperor means one who declares himself emperor in opposition to a reigning emperor. It carries an Arena rating of 1252, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, antiemperor ranks #1,493 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,940 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #4,846 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #5,457 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
Why “antiemperor” is a great word
One who declares oneself emperor in opposition to a reigning emperor. From anti- ("against, opposing") + emperor ("supreme ruler of an empire"), it is a title forged of pure defiance and contested legitimacy. Unlike a coemperor, who shares a throne in sanctioned partnership, or a usurper, a general term for any violent seizure, the antiemperor erects a parallel court, a mirrored crown asserting a hostile and equivalent claim. He is the shadow claimant raising his standard in a rebellious province, his coinage minted with the same denominations but a different face, his very existence making the empire a map with two conflicting norths. It is the grandest and most futile of pretensions: to counter the sun not by extinguishing it, but by claiming to be a second one.
Etymology
From anti- + emperor.
noun
- One who declares himself emperor in opposition to a reigning emperor.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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