imperium in imperio

Borrowed from Latin imperium in imperio.

imperium in imperio

1. A state within a state, inclusive of deep states or other forces which operate with sovereign-like impunity within a polity.
   • 1872, James Legge translating Confucius as The Ch‘un Ts‘ew, Prolegomena, Ch. iii, p. 116:

     ...the system of presiding chiefs... was most anomalous,—an imperium in imperio,—and weakened the bond of loyal attachment to the throne. Of what use were the kings of Chow, if they could not do their proper work of government, but must be continually devolving it on one or other of their vassals?

• “imperium in imperio”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “imperium in imperio”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• "imperium in imperio" in Black's Law Dictionary, 2nd ed.

The expression possibly originated with Spinoza, who used it in several of his works: Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, Tractatus Politicus, and Ethica.

imperium in imperiō n (genitive imperiī in imperiō); second declension

1. imperium in imperio

As with other such expressions (e.g. agrī cultor), the accompanying noun can be either singular or plural when in a plural context. Second-declension noun (neuter).

• status in statū