What does pretorian mean?

Definitions for pretorian
pre·to·ri·an

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word pretorian.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. praetorian, praetorial, pretorian, pretorialadjective

    of or relating to a Roman praetor

    "praetorial powers"

  2. Praetorian, Pretorianadjective

    characteristic of or similar to the corruptible soldiers in the Praetorian Guard with respect to corruption or political venality

    "a large Praetorian bureaucracy filled with ambitious...and often sycophantic people makes work and makes trouble"- Arthur M.Schlesinger Jr.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Pretorianadjective

    Judicial; exercised by the pretor.

    Etymology: pretorianus, Lat. pretorien, Fr.

    The chancery had the pretorian power for equity; the starchamber had the censorian power for offences. Francis Bacon.

Wikipedia

  1. pretorian

    The Praetorian Guard (Latin: cohortēs praetōriae) was an elite unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort for high-rank political officials (senators and procurators) and were bodyguards for the senior officers of the Roman legions. In 27 BC, after Rome's transition from republic to empire, the first emperor of Rome, Augustus, designated the Praetorians as his personal security escort. For three centuries, the guards of the Roman emperor were also known for their palace intrigues, by which influence upon imperial politics the Praetorians could overthrow an emperor and then proclaim his successor as the new caesar of Rome. In AD 312, Constantine the Great disbanded the cohortes praetoriae and destroyed their barracks at the Castra Praetoria.

ChatGPT

  1. pretorian

    A Pretorian generally refers to a member of an ancient Roman elite unit called the Praetorian Guard, who were responsible for guarding the Roman Emperor. The term today is often used metaphorically to refer to someone who exercises or influences power behind the scenes, typically in a political context.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Pretorianadjective

    of or pertaining to a pretor or magistrate; judicial; exercised by, or belonging to, a pretor; as, pretorian power or authority

  2. Pretoriannoun

    a soldier of the pretorian guard

  3. Etymology: [L. praetorians: cf. F. prtorien.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. pretorian

    Appertaining to pretor; also the general’s guard among the ancient Romans.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of pretorian in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of pretorian in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8


Translations for pretorian

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"pretorian." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/pretorian>.

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