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praetorium

American  
[pree-tawr-ee-uhm] / priˈtɔr i əm /
Sometimes pretorium

noun

  1. Roman History.

    1. Usually Praetorium the palace of a provincial governor or of the consul or emperor.

    2. Often Praetorium the tent or building occupied by the general or commanding officer in a military camp.

  2. a large, imposing official building or residence.


Etymology

Origin of praetorium

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin, equivalent to praetor ( def. ) + -ium ( def. )

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.

Questions about the location stem from various interpretations of the Gospels, which describe how Jesus of Nazareth was brought before Pilate in the "praetorium," a Latin term for a general's tent within a Roman encampment.

From Chicago Tribune • Jan. 4, 2015

Some say Pilate's praetorium would have been in the military barracks, others say the Roman general would probably have been a guest in the palace built by Herod.

From Chicago Tribune • Jan. 4, 2015

Here, among the soldiers, discontent with the dictator's policy was as strong as it had been in the praetorium, while its expression was less governed by the amenities of rank.

From The Lion's Brood by Osborne, Duffield

Mr. Oldbuck's "ecstatic description" of the Roman camp with its praetorium was spoilt by Edie Ochiltree's disastrous interruption "Praetorian here, praetorian there, I mind the bigging o't."

From The Romance of Names by Weekley, Ernest

Again, following he outline of John, we may consider the events as they happened alternately outside and inside of the praetorium.

From The Bible Period by Period A Manual for the Study of the Bible by Periods by Tidwell, Josiah Blake

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