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Byzantine

Byzantine

6 9.8
Very complex and difficult to understand, often about systems and rules
  • adjective
  • /bɪˈzæntiːn/
translation icon : enrevesado
  • And that's just the hardware; the software was an entirely Byzantine ordeal.

He said, hey, get this Byzantine tags.

Examples

  • The whole Byzantine, convoluted control system is statism at its worst.

  • Her background was nearly as Byzantine as my own.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The deeper we get, the more byzantine it gets.

  • In the great tradition of Byzantine bureaucracies, this is taking a very long time.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The episode underscored the Byzantine nature of politics in the north, which is opaque even to longtime Sudan analysts.

    Academic text (2011)
  • They've fitted their product lifecycle management systems to help engineers and manufacturers track the sometimes Byzantine regulations and codes to which products must adhere.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The committee's decision-making process was incredibly byzantine, involving layers of rules that few could follow.

  • Navigating the byzantine regulations of the financial industry often requires a specialist's expertise.

  • Due to its byzantine structure, the project took twice as long as expected to complete.

Synonyms

convoluted
vsByzantine
31 8.6

Very complicated and hard to follow, often not needed

often adds secretive or devious intent beyond mere complexity
involved
vsByzantine
16 6.6

Complicated and hard to understand

implies hidden or devious procedures beyond mere complication
tortuous
vsByzantine
7 8.1

Full of twists and turns, like a winding road or an argument

adds a sense of secret or devious methods to that complexity
tangled
vsByzantine
4 6.8

Very complicated and hard to follow, like rules or relationships

emphasizes secret or devious methods rather than just confusion
labyrinthine
vsByzantine
  • Formal
4 9.2

Having many parts that are hard to follow like a maze

highlights hidden or secret methods as well as complexity
knotty
vsByzantine
1 8.1

Difficult to solve or understand, often about problems

focuses more on secret complexity rather than sheer difficulty
multifarious
vsByzantine
  • Formal
1 9.2

Having many different kinds or parts

is about hidden, devious intricacy rather than mere variety

Compounds

The eastern part of the Roman Empire centered on Constantinople that lasted from about 395 to 1453

The Christian church in the Eastern Roman Empire with old worship services and traditions

Byzantine Greek
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of Greek used in the Byzantine Empire from about 600 to 1200

9.9

A form of Greek spoken and written in the Byzantine Empire from about 600 to 1200

8.8

A style of building with large domes on square bases and many mosaics

A very complex, slow system for a government or organization with too much paperwork

Very complicated rules that are hard to follow or understand

How Complex

labyrinthine
  • Formal
4 9.2
Byzantine
6 9.8
intricate
73 6.7
complicated
876 5.4
complex
648 5.6

Surface Forms

Byzantine positive

Morphology

Byzantine = Byzantium (semi-transparent) = Byzantium + ine

The figurative sense (complex, devious bureaucracy) is an extension from historical associations with the empire rather than a literal derivation, so the link is indirect.

Etymology

Byzantine comes from the city Byzantium, and a helpful way to remember the modern sense is this: people thought the empire had a very complicated court with many hidden rules, so calling a system Byzantine means it is very complex and often secretive or devious.