The Imperial Encyclopaedic Dictionary: A New and Exhaustive Work of Reference to the English Language, Defining Over 250,000 Words, with a Full Account of Their Origin, Pronunciation and Use. Comprising a General Encyclopaedia of Art, Science, Invention and Discovery; a Gazetteer and Atlas of the World; a Compendious Dictionary of Universal Biography, Etc

The Imperial Encyclopaedic Dictionary, edited by Robert Hunter and published in the late 19th century, emerged during a peak era of Victorian reference publishing. It was designed as a comprehensive resource intended to consolidate linguistic definitions with encyclopaedic breadth, reflecting the era's ambition to organize the sum of human knowledge into a single, accessible format. By combining a vast dictionary with gazetteers, biographical sketches, and scientific entries, the work catered to a public that valued self-improvement and scholarly rigor in the home library.

Robert Hunter, a Scottish minister and scientist, led the editorial effort, ensuring the work balanced classical etymological research with the burgeoning scientific advancements of the time. The layout and scope of the volumes were crafted to compete with other major reference works of the period, emphasizing clarity and extensive cross-referencing. While it was widely distributed as a standard household reference, it is now primarily regarded by collectors as a representative example of late 19th-century intellectual synthesis and book manufacturing.