Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to the quarter of Constantinople called Fanar, the chief residence of the Greeks in Constantinople after the Turkish conquest; of or pertaining to the Phanariots.
  • noun A resident of the quarter of Fanar in Constantinople; hence, a member of a class of aristocratic Greeks, chiefly resident in the Fanar quarter of Constantinople, who held important political official positions under the Turks, and furnished hospodars of Moldavia, Wallachia, etc.
  • noun Also written Fanariot.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • One of the Greeks of Constantinople who after the Turkish conquest became powerful in clerical and other offices under Turkish patronage.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • At the head of the movement was Alexander Ypsilanti, member of a powerful Greek phanariot family from Moldavia and an officer in the Russian army.

    2. Greece 2001

  • By the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji, Russia was given certain rights of intervention in behalf of the Danubian Principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia), which were still ruled by hospodars (usually phanariot Greeks) appointed by the sultan.

    6. Romania 2001

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