Hegemony
In the 19th century, hegemony came to denote the "Social or cultural predominance or ascendancy; predominance by one group within a society or milieu". Later, it could be used to mean "a group or regime which exerts undue influence within a society". Also, it could be used for the geopolitical and the cultural predominance of one country over others, from which was derived "hegemonism", as in the idea that the Great Powers meant to establish European hegemony over Asia and Africa.
Global empire
The period of imperialism ended, but the new imperialism was quickly replaced, and the characteristics of the new global empire were imperialist states that no longer occupied the land as centuries. In the past, they have penetrated the global market, exploited and scrounged resources, seized the economy, manipulated the politics of small nations in the continent. Western imperialism is now hiding privately through transnational corporations. They use force when necessary when their rights are violated. So the concept of global imperialism is probably no longer accurate, but rather the concept of "global hegemony" or "hegemonic world."