byzantine
English · Français · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
Byzantine¹
- /bɪˈzæntaɪn/ UK
- /baɪˈzæntaɪn/ UK
- /ˈbɪzəntiːn/ US
- /ˈbɪzəntaɪn/ US
Rhymes with -iːn
Where it comes from
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.
adjective more Byzantine · most Byzantine · byzantine · Byzantian · Byzantinan · Bizantian
- Of or pertaining to Byzantium.
- 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.
- 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.
- Overly complex or intricate, especially of bureaucracy. a Byzantine system of regulations
- Rigid, unceasing, inflexible. Novelists, poets, and film directors vied with one another in Byzantine adulation of Stalin: this reached its peak in the post-war years, but was already highly developed in the period we are considering.
- Devious and stealthy. It’s also important to note that this analysis deals solely with intrinsic failure, or the odds of a conspiracy being exposed intentionally or accidentally by actors involved—extrinsic analysis by non-participants would also increase the odds of detection, rendering such Byzantine cover-ups far more
-
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.
This was the crowning incident of our visit, and I wondered with what Byzantine ritual the Anointed One fresh from the exercise of his priestly functions would be received among his women.
Similar: Byzantiac
noun Byzantines · byzantine · Byzantian · Byzantinan · Bizantian · Bizantine
- A native of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) or of the Byzantine empire
- Alternative form of byzantine (coin)
- A dark, metallic shade of violet.
byzantine²
- /bɪˈzæntaɪn/ UK
- /baɪˈzæntaɪn/ UK
- /ˈbɪzəntiːn/ US
- /ˈbɪzəntaɪn/ US
Rhymes with -iːn
adjective more byzantine · most byzantine
- Alternative letter-case form of Byzantine (figurative senses only). The result is a byzantine system of government directed by 160 ministers, a structure that absorbs 50 percent of Bosnia’s gross domestic product of $15 billion, according to the World Bank.
noun byzantines
- A byzant (coin).
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: artful, intricate, complex, convoluted, involved, tortuous, knotty, labyrinthine, byzantine architecture, tangled, rigid, inflexible, complicated, elaborate, perplexing, bewildering
Translations
Every language
adj of or pertaining to Byzantium
| Español | bizantino |
|---|---|
| Português | bizantino |
| Français | byzantin |
| Deutsch | byzantinisch |
| Italiano | bizantino |
| Ελληνικά | βυζαντινός vyzantinós |
| Română | bizantin |
| Русский | византи́йский vizantíjskij |
| العربية | بِيزَنْطِيّ bīzanṭiyy |
adj belonging to the civilisation of the Eastern-Roman empire
| Español | bizantino |
|---|---|
| Português | bizantino |
| Français | byzantin |
| Română | bizantin |
| Русский | византи́ец vizantíjec |
| العربية | بِيزَنْطِيّ bīzanṭiyy |
| עברית | ביזנטי |
adj overly complex or intricate
| Español | farragoso |
|---|---|
| Português | bizantino |
| Français | byzantin |
| Deutsch | byzantinisch |
| Русский | византи́йский vizantíjskij |
adj of a devious usually stealthy manner
| Español | sibilino |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | byzantinisch |
noun native of Byzantine Empire
| Español | bizantino, bizantina |
|---|---|
| Português | bizantino, bizantina |
| Français | Byzantin, Byzantine |
| Deutsch | Byzantiner, Byzantinerin |
| Ελληνικά | Βυζαντινός Vyzantinós, Βυζαντινή Vyzantiní |
| Română | bizantin |
| Русский | византи́ец vizantíjec, византи́йка vizantíjka |
| العربية | بِيزَنْطِيّ bīzanṭiyy |
Talk about this word "byzantine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/byzantine. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. byzantine. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/byzantine "byzantine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/byzantine.Cite this
@misc{byzantine_2026,
title = {byzantine},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/byzantine},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
