Byzantine

[biz-uh n-teen, -tahyn, bahy-zuh n-, bih-zan-tin]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR Byzantine ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to Byzantium.

noting or pertaining to the architecture of the Byzantine Empire and to architecture influenced by or imitating it: characterized by masonry construction, round arches, impost blocks, low domes on pendentives, the presence of fine, spiky foliage patterns in low relief on stone capitals and moldings, and the use of frescoes, mosaics, and revetments of fine stone to cover whole interiors.

Fine Arts. pertaining to or designating the style of the fine or decorative arts developed and elaborated in the Byzantine Empire and its provinces: characterized chiefly by an ecclesiastically prescribed iconography, highly formal structure, severe confinement of pictorial space to a shallow depth, and the use of rich, often sumptuous color.

(sometimes lowercase) complex or intricate: a deal requiring Byzantine financing.

(sometimes lowercase) characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, especially for the gaining of political power or favor: Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship.

of or relating to the Byzantine Church.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Byzantium.

Origin of Byzantine

1590–1600; < Late Latin Bȳzantīnus of Byzantium; see -ine¹

Related formspre-Byz·an·tine, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for byzantine

daedal, complicated, convoluted, detailed, devious, difficult, elaborate, intricate, involved, labyrinthine, tortuous

Examples from the Web for byzantine

Contemporary Examples of byzantine

Rather, it precipitated a month-long diplomatic crisis of byzantine complexity that exposed deeper, long-term sources of conflict.
Barbara Tuchman’s ‘The Guns of August’ Is Still WWI’s Peerless Chronicle
James A. Warren
September 29, 2014
Yalta was great for strolls along the sea during the Byzantine, Ottoman and Russian empires.
Putin's Crimea Is a Big Anti-Gay Casino
Anna Nemtsova
September 8, 2014
American multinational companies may be best known today for their byzantine strategies to minimize their U.S. taxes.
America’s Economy Is Outperforming Rivals Because the U.S. Is Excelling at Globalization
Robert Shapiro
June 8, 2013
The Daily Pic: In Milan, circa 1490, a Byzantine ruler puts on Ottoman robes.
When the Romans Were Turks
Blake Gopnik
August 30, 2012
Our job creators would also benefit from fundamental tax reform that would simplify and flatten our Byzantine tax code.
Time to Jump-Start the Economy
Thomas J. Donohue
September 12, 2011

Historical Examples of byzantine

The chapter on Byzantine Architecture is entirely from his pen.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen
Such irregularities are inherent in the Byzantine methods of building.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen
This was the last effort of pure Byzantine architecture in Constantinople.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen
It is to be found in this sense, I think, in almost all the Byzantine historians.
Shakespeare Jest-Books;
Unknown
The testimony of inscriptions corroborates that of the Byzantine writer.
The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism
Franz Cumont

British Dictionary definitions for byzantine

Byzantine

adjective

of, characteristic of, or relating to Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire

of, relating to, or characterizing the Orthodox Church or its rites and liturgy

of or relating to the highly coloured stylized form of religious art developed in the Byzantine Empire

of or relating to the style of architecture developed in the Byzantine Empire, characterized by massive domes with square bases, rounded arches, spires and minarets, and the extensive use of mosaics

denoting the Medieval Greek spoken in the Byzantine Empire

(of attitudes, etc) inflexible or complicated

noun

an inhabitant of Byzantium

Derived FormsByzantinism (bɪˈzæntaɪˌnɪzəm, -tiː, baɪ-, ˈbɪzəntiːˌnɪzəm, -taɪ-), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for byzantine

Byzantine

adj.

1770, from Latin Byzantinus (see Byzantium); originally used of art style; later in reference to the complex, devious, and intriguing character of the royal court of Constantinople (1937). As a noun from 1770.