Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['bi-zên-teen] (US) or (British) [bi-'zæn-tayn ]
Definition: Pertaining to Byzantium; highly complicated and intricate; characterized by a manner that relies on intrigue, scheming and labyrinthine machinations.
Usage: The common adjective "byzantine" has two levels of meaning. The first one is for something that's merely complicated: "Let's forget these byzantine travel arrangements and sign up for a group tour." The other connotes underhanded business: "Rudolf resorted to byzantine machinations behind the scenes to wreck the reputations of his enemies."
Suggested Usage: "Byzantine" with a capital "B" can be used to refer to a citizen of ancient Byzantium or its art or architecture but "byzantine" is the form we use for the metaphoric sense of the word. The latter, but not the former, may be compared. The adverb of the latter would be "byzantinely" and the noun, but they are rarely encountered.
Etymology: From "Byzantium," later known as Constantinople, today's Istanbul. The origin of "Byzantium" is unclear but as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, it was known for the complex political intrigues of its leaders. In "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (1776), Edward Gibbon claims that Byzantium contained so many labyrinthine connections that it was impossible to separate or simplify any element of the bureaucracy. (Our gratitude to Cliff Shin for today's word is anything but byzantine; just a simple, but heartfelt "Thanks!")
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