Byzantine

1 of 2

adjective

Byz·​an·​tine ˈbi-zᵊn-ˌtēn How to pronounce Byzantine (audio)
ˈbī-,
-ˌtīn;
bə-ˈzan-ˌtēn,
bī-ˈzan- How to pronounce Byzantine (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient city of Byzantium
Byzantine art
2
architecture : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in the Byzantine Empire especially in the fifth and sixth centuries featuring the dome carried on pendentives over a square and incrustation with marble veneering and with colored mosaics on grounds of gold
3
Christianity : of or relating to the churches using a traditional Greek rite and subject to Eastern (see eastern sense 2) canon law
4
often not capitalized
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by a devious and usually surreptitious manner of operation
a Byzantine power struggle
b
: intricately involved : labyrinthine
rules of Byzantine complexity

Byzantine

2 of 2

noun

: a native or inhabitant of Byzantium

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Byzantine, a Word for History Buffs

Today, the city that lies on the Bosporus Strait in Turkey is named Istanbul, but it was once known as Constantinople (a name given to it when it became the capital of the Byzantine Empire, aka the eastern half of the Roman Empire), and in ancient times, it was called Byzantium. Its history is legendary—filled with mystics, wars, and political infighting—and over time the word Byzantine (from the Late Latin word Byzantinus, the name for a native of Byzantium) became synonymous in English with anything characteristic of the city or empire, from architecture to intrigue. The figurative sense used to describe that which is intricately involved and not easily understood first appeared in the early 20th century.

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of Byzantine in a Sentence

Adjective spent his first year at the Pentagon just trying to fathom its byzantine workings
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But this measure is a Byzantine quagmire of foggy muddle. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 That didn’t stop Byzantine emperor Justinian I, aiming to restore his empire’s former glory, from acquiring silkworm eggs, via monks who smuggled them in bamboo rods. —Emi Eleode, ARTnews.com, 30 Oct. 2024 Sienese painting represents a rupture in world art, breaking from Gothic flatness and hieratic Byzantine art. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024 In 1907, Johan Ludvig Heiberg discovered something unexpected in a Byzantine prayer book. —Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Byzantine 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Byzantine was in 1651

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Dictionary Entries Near Byzantine

Byzantian

Byzantine

Byzantine chant

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Byzantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Byzantine. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Byzantine

1 of 2 noun
Byz·​an·​tine ˈbiz-ən-ˌtēn How to pronounce Byzantine (audio) bə-ˈzan- How to pronounce Byzantine (audio)
ˈbīz-ən-;
ˈbiz-ən-ˌtīn
: a person born or living in Byzantium or in the Byzantine Empire

Byzantine

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or typical of Byzantium or the Eastern Roman Empire
2
: of or relating to a style of architecture developed in the Byzantine Empire especially in the 5th and 6th centuries characterized by a central dome over a square space and by much use of mosaics
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