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praetorianism
[ pree-tawr-ee-uh-niz-uhm, -tohr- ]
/ priˈtɔr i əˌnɪz əm, -ˈtoʊr- /
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noun
the control of a society by force or fraud, especially when exercised through titular officials and by a powerful minority.
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Origin of praetorianism
First recorded in 1865–70; praetorian + -ism
Words nearby praetorianism
praesidium, praetexta, praetor, praetorian, Praetorian Guard, praetorianism, Praetorius, praetorship, pragmatagnosia, pragmatamnesia, pragmatic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use praetorianism in a sentence
If an autocracy does not rest on the army, which leads to the chaos of praetorianism, it must rely on 'panem et circenses.'
Outspoken Essays|William Ralph IngeThe evil fame of the Italian cohorts has survived in the phrase “praetorianism” used to imply a venal military despotism.