adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to Byzantium.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
Byzantine
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /bɪˈzæntaɪn/
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UK: /baɪˈzæntaɪn/
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US: /ˈbɪzəntiːn/
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US: /ˈbɪzəntaɪn/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːn
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CMU ARPABET: B IH1 Z AH0 N T AY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: B IH1 Z AH0 N T IY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Belonging to the civilization of the Eastern Roman Empire between 331, when its capital was moved to Constantinople, and 1453, when that capital was conquered by the Turks and ultimately renamed Istanbul.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: history, human-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Of a style of architecture prevalent in the Eastern Empire down to 1453, marked by the round arch springing from columns or piers, the dome supported upon pendentives, capitals elaborately sculptured, mosaic or other encrustations, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Overly complex or intricate, especially of bureaucracy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, lowercase, often
Examples
- a Byzantine system of regulations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Devious and stealthy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, lowercase, often
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Of or relating to the Byzantine Rite or any of the many Eastern Orthodox churches and Greek Catholic churches that use this rite for their liturgical celebrations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Eastern Orthodoxy
Topics: Catholicism, Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Alternative letter-case form of Byzantine (figurative senses only).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A native of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) or of the Byzantine empire
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, historical, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Alternative form of byzantine (coin)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, numismatics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A dark, metallic shade of violet.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A byzant (coin).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 12
of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 13
of or relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Byzantine monks
- Byzantine rites
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious- Sir Walter Scott
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the Byzantine tax structure
- Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship
- convoluted legal language
- convoluted reasoning
- the plot was too involved
- a knotty problem
- got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering
- Oh, what a tangled web we weave
- tortuous legal procedures
- tortuous negotiations lasting for months
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: convoluted, involved, knotty, tangled, tortuous
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
a native or inhabitant of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Asian, Asiatic
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhuǵ-der. Thracian *būzasder. Ancient Greek Βῡ́ζᾱς (Bū́zās) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek Βῡζᾰ́ντῐον (Būzắntĭon)bor. Latin Bȳzantium Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnus Late Latin bȳzantīnusder. English Byzantine Borrowed from Late Latin bȳzantīnus, from Bȳzantium, from Ancient Greek Βυζάντιον (Buzántion). The figurative senses evoke the reputation for palace intrigue of the Byzantine imperial court.
Across languages
Translations
105 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: بِيزَنْطِيّ (bīzanṭiyy) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Armenian: բյուզանդական (byuzandakan) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Asturian: bizantín — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Belarusian: візанты́йскі (vizantýjski) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Catalan: bizantí — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Czech: byzantský — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Danish: byzantinsk — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Dutch: Byzantijns — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Finnish: bysanttilainen — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- French: byzantin — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Galician: bizantino — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- German: byzantinisch — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Greek: βυζαντινός (vyzantinós) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Hungarian: bizánci — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Irish: Biosántach — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Italian: bizantino — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Latvian: bizantisks — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Macedonian: византиски (vizantiski) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Malay: Bizantium — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Norwegian Bokmål: bysantinsk — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Norwegian Nynorsk: bysantinsk — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Occitan: bizantin — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Middle Persian: 𐭧𐭫𐭥𐭬𐭠𐭣𐭩𐭪 — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Polish: bizantyjski — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Polish: bizantyński — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Portuguese: bizantino — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Romanian: bizantin — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Russian: византи́йский (vizantíjskij) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Serbo-Croatian: bizàntīnskī — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Slovene: bizantínski — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Spanish: bizantino — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Swedish: bysantinsk — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Turkish: Bizans — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Ukrainian: візанті́йський (vizantíjsʹkyj) — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Welsh: Bysantaidd — of or pertaining to Byzantium
- Arabic: بِيزَنْطِيّ (bīzanṭiyy) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Armenian: բյուզանդական (byuzandakan) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Catalan: bizantí — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Danish: byzantinsk — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Finnish: bysanttilainen — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- French: byzantin — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Ancient Greek: Βῡζᾰντῐᾰκός (Būzăntĭăkós) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Hebrew: ביזנטי — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Hungarian: bizánci — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Irish: Biosántach — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Macedonian: Византиец (Vizantiec) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Norwegian Bokmål: bysantinsk — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Portuguese: bizantino — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Romanian: bizantin — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Russian: византи́ец (vizantíjec) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Serbo-Croatian: Bizantínac — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Spanish: bizantino — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Turkish: Bizans — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Ukrainian: візанти́єць (vizantýjecʹ) — belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
- Asturian: bizantín — overly complex or intricate
- Danish: byzantinsk — overly complex or intricate
- Finnish: bysanttilainen — overly complex or intricate
- French: byzantin — overly complex or intricate
- Galician: bizantino — overly complex or intricate
- German: byzantinisch — overly complex or intricate
- Macedonian: византиски (vizantiski) — overly complex or intricate
- Norwegian Bokmål: bysantinsk — overly complex or intricate
- Portuguese: bizantino — overly complex or intricate
- Russian: византи́йский (vizantíjskij) — overly complex or intricate
- Serbo-Croatian: bizàntīnskī — overly complex or intricate
- Spanish: farragoso — overly complex or intricate
- Swedish: bysantinsk — overly complex or intricate
- Turkish: karmakarışık — overly complex or intricate
- German: byzantinisch — of a devious usually stealthy manner
- Spanish: sibilino — of a devious usually stealthy manner
- Arabic: بِيزَنْطِيّ (bīzanṭiyy) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Armenian: բյուզանդացի (byuzandacʻi) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Old Armenian: հոռոմ (hoṙom) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Catalan: bizantí — native of Byzantine Empire
- Catalan: bizantina — native of Byzantine Empire
- Czech: Byzantinec — native of Byzantine Empire
- Danish: byzantiner — native of Byzantine Empire
- Dutch: Byzantijn — native of Byzantine Empire
- Finnish: bysanttilainen — native of Byzantine Empire
- French: Byzantin — native of Byzantine Empire
- French: Byzantine — native of Byzantine Empire
- Galician: bizantino — native of Byzantine Empire
- German: Byzantiner — native of Byzantine Empire
- German: Byzantinerin — native of Byzantine Empire
- Greek: Βυζαντινός (Vyzantinós) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Greek: Βυζαντινή (Vyzantiní) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Irish: Biosántach — native of Byzantine Empire
- Macedonian: Византиец (Vizantiec) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Macedonian: Византијка (Vizantijka) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Polish: Bizantyjczyk — native of Byzantine Empire
- Polish: Bizantyńczyk — native of Byzantine Empire
- Polish: Bizantyjka — native of Byzantine Empire
- Portuguese: bizantino — native of Byzantine Empire
- Portuguese: bizantina — native of Byzantine Empire
- Romanian: bizantin — native of Byzantine Empire
- Russian: византи́ец (vizantíjec) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Russian: византи́йка (vizantíjka) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Serbo-Croatian: Bizantínac — native of Byzantine Empire
- Serbo-Croatian: Bizàntīnka — native of Byzantine Empire
- Spanish: bizantino — native of Byzantine Empire
- Spanish: bizantina — native of Byzantine Empire
- Turkish: Bizanslı — native of Byzantine Empire
- Ukrainian: візанти́єць (vizantýjecʹ) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Ukrainian: візанти́йка (vizantýjka) — native of Byzantine Empire
- Welsh: Bysantiad — native of Byzantine Empire
Real reading context