wài

technical
historical

Meaning of 外戚

外戚 means imperial in-laws; relatives on the emperor's mother's and wife's sides. Pronounced wài qī.

  • imperial in-laws; relatives on the emperor's mother's and wife's sides

Definitions & Examples

Hàn
dài
wài
shì
páng
 
jīng
cháng
gān
cháo
zhèng
 

In the Han Dynasty, the imperial in-laws' power was vast, and they often interfered in court politics.

kào
wài
de
shēn
fèn
huò
le
gāo
guān
zhí
wèi
 

He obtained a high official position by relying on his status as an imperial in-law.

Wài
gān
zhèng
shì
dōng
hàn
shuāi
luò
de
zhòng
yào
yuán
yīn
zhī
 

Interference in government by imperial in-laws was one of the important reasons for the decline of the Eastern Han.