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Glite Dictionary
Pretorian

Pretorian

9.9
Using power to reward friends and punish critics in government
  • adjective
  • /prɪˈtɔriən/
  • Formal
translation icon : pretoriano
  • Critics accused the cabinet of adopting Pretorian practices to maintain their grip on power.

Examples

  • The Pretorian politics of the administration were evident in their decisions.

  • The agency developed a Pretorian attitude, putting ambition and politics above justice.

  • A Pretorian culture had taken root in the organization, rewarding flattery and punishing dissent.

  • Many criticized the Pretorian nature of the recent government reforms.

  • The governor's pretorian tactics included bribing officials to secure his position.

  • Critics accused the senator of adopting a pretorian approach to politics, focusing on personal gain.

  • In the film, the pretorian leaders manipulated the election results to maintain their power.

Synonyms

Praetorian
vsPretorian
3 9.9

Loyal to a ruler and willing to use unfair or violent methods to control politics

is broader, highlighting the guard's venal nature and political manipulation

How Corrupt

Pretorian
  • Formal
9.9
venal
  • Formal
9 9.1
corrupt
291 4.4
unethical
102 4.8
honest
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Pretorian positive

Morphology

Pretorian = praetor (opaque) = praetor + ian

Although formed from 'praetor' + the adjectival suffix '-ian', the historical and specialized referent (Praetorian Guard/political venality) is not derivable by an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Pretorian comes from the name Praetorian Guard, the Roman emperor's special 'guard' who often used their power to choose or remove rulers. That's why Pretorian now describes people or systems that use force, tricks, or corruption to hold power in politics.