ALL meanings of byzantine
Byz·an·tine
B b - adjective byzantine Byzantine means related to or connected with the Byzantine Empire. 3
- adjective byzantine If you describe a system or process as byzantine, you are criticizing it because it seems complicated or secretive. 3
- adjective byzantine of, characteristic of, or relating to Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire 3
- adjective byzantine of, relating to, or characterizing the Orthodox Church or its rites and liturgy 3
- adjective byzantine of or relating to the highly coloured stylized form of religious art developed in the Byzantine Empire 3
- adjective byzantine of or relating to the style of architecture developed in the Byzantine Empire, characterized by massive domes with square bases, rounded arches, spires and minarets, and the extensive use of mosaics 3
- adjective byzantine denoting the Medieval Greek spoken in the Byzantine Empire 3
- adjective byzantine (of attitudes, etc) inflexible or complicated 3
- noun byzantine an inhabitant of Byzantium 3
- adjective byzantine of Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire, or its people or culture 3
- adjective byzantine of or pertaining to the Eastern Orthodox Church 3
- adjective byzantine resembling the government or politics of the Byzantine Empire in structure, spirit, etc.; specif., characterized by complexity, deviousness, intrigue, etc. 3
- adjective byzantine designating or of a style developed in Byzantium and E Europe between the 4th and 15th cent., characterized by domes over square areas, round arches, elaborate mosaics, etc. 3
- adjective byzantine designating or of the decorative style of the mosaics, frescoes, etc. of the Byzantine Empire, characterized by lack of perspective, use of rich colors, esp. gold, and emphasis on religious symbolism 3
- noun byzantine a person born or living in Byzantium 3
- adjective byzantine of or relating to Byzantium. 1
- adjective byzantine of or relating to the Byzantine Empire. 1
- adjective byzantine noting or pertaining to the architecture of the Byzantine Empire and to architecture influenced by or imitating it: characterized by masonry construction, round arches, impost blocks, low domes on pendentives, the presence of fine, spiky foliage patterns in low relief on stone capitals and moldings, and the use of frescoes, mosaics, and revetments of fine stone to cover whole interiors. 1
- adjective byzantine Fine Arts. pertaining to or designating the style of the fine or decorative arts developed and elaborated in the Byzantine Empire and its provinces: characterized chiefly by an ecclesiastically prescribed iconography, highly formal structure, severe confinement of pictorial space to a shallow depth, and the use of rich, often sumptuous color. 1
- adjective byzantine (sometimes lowercase) complex or intricate: a deal requiring Byzantine financing. 1
- adjective byzantine (sometimes lowercase) characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, especially for the gaining of political power or favor: Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship. 1
- adjective byzantine of or relating to the Byzantine Church. 1
- noun byzantine a native or inhabitant of Byzantium. 1
- adjective byzantine complex or elaborate 1
- noun Technical meaning of byzantine (jargon, architecture) A term describing any system that has so many labyrinthine internal interconnections that it would be impossible to simplify by separation into loosely coupled or linked components. The city of Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople and then Istanbul, and the Byzantine Empire were vitiated by a bureaucratic overelaboration bordering on lunacy: quadruple banked agencies, dozens or even scores of superfluous levels and officials with high flown titles unrelated to their actual function, if any. Access to the Emperor and his council was controlled by powerful and inscrutable eunuchs and by rival sports factions. 1
- noun byzantine (historical) A byzant (coin). 0
- adjective byzantine Alternative spelling of Byzantine. 0