byzantine

pronunciation

How to pronounce byzantine in British English: UK [baɪˈzæntaɪn; bɪˈzæntaɪn; baɪˈzæntiːn; bɪˈzæntiːn]word uk audio image

How to pronounce byzantine in American English: US [ ˈbɪzəntiːn] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    a native or inhabitant of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire
  • Adjective:
    of or relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it
    of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium
    highly involved or intricate
    characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue; devious

Word Origin

Byzantine (adj.)
1770, from Latin Byzantinus (see Byzantium); originally used of art style; later in reference to the complex, devious, and intriguing character of the royal court of Constantinople (1937). As a noun from 1770.

Example

1. The state 's byzantine tax system , says gerald parsky , a private-equity investor .
2. In other words , america 's byzantine tax system does hardly anything to redistribute income .
3. Whatever the source of new revenue , america 's byzantine funding system will remain an obstacle to improved planning .
4. Lax regulation failed to keep tabs on wall street 's excessive risk-taking and byzantine financial products .
5. Seventeen months after the uprising that toppled mr mubarak , the most populous arab country remains tangled in a web of rumour , mistrust and byzantine legal convolutions .

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