praetorianism
[pree-tawr-ee-uh-niz-uh m, -tohr-]
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for praetorianism
Historical Examples
The evil fame of the Italian cohorts has survived in the phrase “praetorianism” used to imply a venal military despotism.
If an autocracy does not rest on the army, which leads to the chaos of praetorianism, it must rely on 'panem et circenses.'
Outspoken EssaysWilliam Ralph Inge