Byzantine

[ biz-uhn-teen, -tahyn, bahy-zuhn-, bih-zan-tin ]

/ ˈbɪz ənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn, ˈbaɪ zən-, bɪˈzæn tɪn /

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See synonyms for Byzantine on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to Byzantium.

of or relating to the Byzantine Empire.

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.

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Origin of Byzantine

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

OTHER WORDS FROM Byzantine

pre-Byz·an·tine, adjective

Words nearby Byzantine

byword, by word of mouth, by-work, by-your-leave, Byz., Byzantine, Byzantine chant, Byzantine Church, Byzantine Empire, Byzantinism, Byzantinist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Byzantine in a sentence

For the rest of us—and for those who don't want to put up with the Byzantine procedures necessary to install Microsoft 365 apps on Remote Desktop Servers—there's Office 2019 now, and there will be Office 2021 later this year.
Microsoft Office 2021 is on its way|Jim Salter|February 18, 2021|Ars Technica
Washington is a Byzantine place, where protocol and permission dictate so much.
Introducing the People Who Will Shape Washington for the Next Generation|Philip Elliott|February 17, 2021|Time
The assumption is that it was rarely read by Byzantine subjects.
What the QAnon of the 6th Century Teaches Us About Conspiracies|Roland Betancourt|February 3, 2021|Time
Historians have often downplayed the political and cultural role of the Secret History in Byzantine society.
What the QAnon of the 6th Century Teaches Us About Conspiracies|Roland Betancourt|February 3, 2021|Time

There are many ways for the system to go awry, but usually it’s because the administrative agency, the applicant, the employer or some combination of them made a mistake somewhere in the Byzantine claims process.
He Made a Minor Mistake Filling Out an Unemployment Form. Then the State Demanded $14,990 From Him.|by Ava Kofman|October 29, 2020|ProPublica
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
A leitmotif on journalism threads through this often-byzantine narrative.
How the ‘Witch Hunt’ Myth Undermined American Justice|Jason Berry|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the vividly painted remains are still considered by UNESCO to be one of the best examples of post-iconoclastic Byzantine art.
The Secret Life of Cappadocia: Underground in the Turkish Rock Formations|Nina Strochlic|August 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
The schism was not confined to the narrow limits of the Byzantine empire.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon
It was reserved for Finlay to depict, with greater knowledge and a juster perception, the lights and shades of Byzantine history.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various
The corrupt Gothic of Venice furnishes us with a curious instance of the one, and the corrupt Byzantine of the other.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
At Verona it is, indeed, less Byzantine, but possesses a character of richness and tenderness almost peculiar to that city.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin
Now observe, the old Byzantine mosaicist begins his work at enormous disadvantage.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3)|John Ruskin

British Dictionary definitions for Byzantine

Byzantine

/ (bɪˈzænˌtaɪn, -ˌtiːn, baɪ-, ˈbɪzənˌtiːn, -ˌtaɪn) /

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 forms of Byzantine

Byzantinism (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