Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to a praetor or the praetorship.
  • adjective Of or belonging to the Praetorian Guard.
  • adjective Venal; corruptible.
  • noun A praetor or ex-praetor.
  • noun A member of the Praetorian Guard.

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

  • adjective See pretorian.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to a praetor
  • adjective Corruptly mercenary and venal
  • noun A praetor

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characteristic of or similar to the corruptible soldiers in the Praetorian Guard with respect to corruption or political venality
  • noun a member of the Praetorian Guard
  • adjective of or relating to a Roman praetor

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The Japanese, on the contrary, were enrolled as a kind of praetorian guard, or janissaries; in this character, however, their pride and power became so formidable that the king grew uneasy and disbanded them.

    The English Governess at the Siamese Court Being Recollections of Six Years in the Royal Palace at Bangkok Anna Harriette Leonowens 1874

  • The Japanese, on the contrary, were enrolled as a kind of praetorian guard, or janissaries; in this character, however, their pride and power became so formidable that the king grew uneasy and disbanded them.

    The English Governess at the Siamese Court Leonowens, Anna H 1870

  • But he also cautions that Egypt "is now and is likely to remain a praetorian state," where the military plays a dominant role.

    Pivotal Moment for America Gerald F. Seib 2011

  • In an odd way, the halfhearted, demoralizing, aborted operations in Vilnius and elsewhere may have inoculated the system against successful praetorian intervention.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • In an odd way, the halfhearted, demoralizing, aborted operations in Vilnius and elsewhere may have inoculated the system against successful praetorian intervention.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • Realizing that the end was near, Ben Ali fled, leaving some members of his family in the lurch and unleashing his praetorian Presidential Guard as well as the other security forces to confront the swelling ranks of demonstrators.

    Clement M. Henry: The Tunisian Army: Defending the Beachhead of Democracy in the Arab World Clement M. Henry 2011

  • In an odd way, the halfhearted, demoralizing, aborted operations in Vilnius and elsewhere may have inoculated the system against successful praetorian intervention.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • But at the regime's apex—Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his praetorian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the clergy who've remained committed to theocracy—religious ideology and anti-Americanism have intensified.

    Iran's Act of War Reuel Marc Gerecht 2011

  • Since when do candidates for the Senate walk around with their own praetorian guard that puts members of the press corp in handcuffs?

    Jacob Heilbrunn: It's Not Miller Time Jacob Heilbrunn 2010

  • Although disposing of only a dozen operational helicopters and confronting the praetorian Presidential Guard which itself possessed armored vehicles, the more professional and united military managed to subdue its opponents over the course of several days.

    Clement M. Henry: The Tunisian Army: Defending the Beachhead of Democracy in the Arab World Clement M. Henry 2011

Comments

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  • Does anyone know if it's 'preetorian' or 'praytorian'?

    July 17, 2009

  • I've always heard it pronounced "pray-torian."

    July 17, 2009

  • Sandra Bullock's The Net had it pronounced as Pray-torian

    January 1, 2013