pretorium

9.9

A tent where a Roman general has their headquarters during a war

noun
/prɪˈtɔːriəm/

Literature

: pretorio

The commanding officer established his pretorium on the hill overlooking the battlefield.

Examples

Archaeologists discovered the remains of a pretorium at the ancient Roman camp.
Maps from the period often indicate the location of the pretorium within each military encampment.
The general commanded his troops from the pretorium.
The pretorium was the center of military operations.
The commanding officer established his pretorium on the hill overlooking the battlefield.
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a pretorium at the ancient Roman camp.
Maps from the period often indicate the location of the pretorium within each military encampment.

Synonyms

praetorium

vspretorium

Specialized

1 9.9

A tent or base where an ancient Roman general lives and leads his army

has identical meaning but is an alternative written form

Surface Forms

pretorium singular

pretoriums plural

Etymology

Pretorium comes from the Latin word praetor, meaning 'leader', and the part prae-, meaning 'before', which is like the English pre-. So a pretorium was literally the place or tent 'for the leader' and became the name for the general's headquarters in a Roman camp.