Imperialism: The practice of states to expand their influence beyond their sovereign borders.

So any state that uses diplomacy, trade, cultural exchange, or anything else to extend their influence is imperialist, meaning all states are imperialist, making the term meaningless. Western liberals love doing this, taking things that the West is specifically guilty of and redefining the word to be so broad that it applies to everyone, letting them keep the smug superiority of bleating “I think both sides are bad!” Without ever having to grapple with the ways their side specifically is bad