tetrarch

American  

[te-trahrk, tee-] / ˈtɛ trɑrk, ˈti- /

noun

1. any ruler of a fourth part, division, etc.

2. a subordinate ruler.

3. one of four joint rulers or chiefs.

4. the ruler of the fourth part of a country or province in the ancient Roman Empire.

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tetrarch British  

/ ˈtɛtrɑːk /

noun

1. the ruler of one fourth of a country

2. a subordinate ruler, esp of Syria under the Roman Empire

3. the commander of one of the smaller subdivisions of a Macedonian phalanx

4. any of four joint rulers

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Other Word Forms

• tetrarchate
  noun
• tetrarchy
  noun
• tetrarchic
  adjective
• tetrarchical
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of tetrarch

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, tetrarcha, tetrarke, from Late Latin tetrarcha, variant of Latin tetrarchēs, from Greek tetrárchēs; see tetr-, -arch

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tetrarch

While there was no formal geographic division of leadership, each emperor or tetrarch had his own sphere of influence.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

The husky-voiced German tenor Gerhard A. Siegel was almost endearing as Herod, the tetrarch of Judea, Herodias’s husband, who is nearly undone by his yearning for his stepdaughter.

From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2014

Con O'Neill as the roaring, bisexual tetrarch is not afraid to out-Herod Herod.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 24, 2010

A man near me exclaimed, ‘He is the Messiah;’ but others——” “The Messiah!” echoed the tetrarch.

From Mary Magdalen by Edgar Saltus

Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great by the Samaritan Malthace, and full brother of Archelaus, received as his share of his father’s dominions the provinces of Galilee and Peraea, with the title of tetrarch.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various

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