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praetorianism

American  
[pree-tawr-ee-uh-niz-uhm, -tohr-] / priˈtɔr i əˌnɪz əm, -ˈtoʊr- /

noun

  1. the control of a society by force or fraud, especially when exercised through titular officials and by a powerful minority.

Etymology

Origin of praetorianism

First recorded in 1865–70; praetorian + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If an autocracy does not rest on the army, which leads to the chaos of praetorianism, it must rely on 'panem et circenses.'

From Outspoken Essays by Inge, William Ralph

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.