byzantine
Describing a system, process, or set of rules that is excessively complicated, intricate, and often characterized by deviousness or underhandedness. It typically refers to bureaucratic or administrative structures that are difficult to navigate or understand.
Exemples
3 sur 5The instructions for setting up this smart home system are unexpectedly byzantine.
The instructions for setting up this smart home system are unexpectedly byzantine.
The committee struggled to navigate the byzantine protocols of the international treaty.
The committee struggled to navigate the byzantine protocols of the international treaty.
Fixing my broken phone turned into a byzantine process that took all day.
Fixing my broken phone turned into a byzantine process that took all day.
Synonymes
Antonymes
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of the ancient Byzantine Empire—it was famous for having so many secret plots, layers of government, and confusing laws that it became a human maze.
Quiz rapide
The merger was delayed for months by a _____ web of legal requirements and paperwork.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : byzantine
Exemples
The instructions for setting up this smart home system are unexpectedly byzantine.
everydayThe instructions for setting up this smart home system are unexpectedly byzantine.
The committee struggled to navigate the byzantine protocols of the international treaty.
formalThe committee struggled to navigate the byzantine protocols of the international treaty.
Fixing my broken phone turned into a byzantine process that took all day.
informalFixing my broken phone turned into a byzantine process that took all day.
Scholars often critique the byzantine structure of the medieval tax system in their research.
academicScholars often critique the byzantine structure of the medieval tax system in their research.
The company's byzantine hierarchy makes it impossible to get a quick decision from management.
businessThe company's byzantine hierarchy makes it impossible to get a quick decision from management.
Synonymes
Antonymes
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
byzantine politics
byzantine politics
byzantine regulations
byzantine regulations
byzantine maze
byzantine maze
Souvent confondu avec
Convoluted refers to anything twisted or complex, while byzantine specifically implies a complex system or administrative structure.
Complex is a neutral term for something with many parts; byzantine is usually pejorative, suggesting unnecessary difficulty.
Notes d'usage
The word is almost always used in a negative sense to criticize a system that is harder to understand than it needs to be. It is common in political and academic writing.
Erreurs courantes
Learners often forget that when referring to the historical Empire, it must be capitalized (Byzantine), but when used as a general adjective for complexity, it is often lowercase.
Astuce mémo
Think of the ancient Byzantine Empire—it was famous for having so many secret plots, layers of government, and confusing laws that it became a human maze.
Origine du mot
Derived from Byzantium, the ancient Greek city (later Constantinople), known for its highly complex and devious political life.
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
The term reflects a Western historical stereotype of the Eastern Roman Empire as being excessively focused on complex ritual and political intrigue.
Quiz rapide
The merger was delayed for months by a _____ web of legal requirements and paperwork.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : byzantine
Vocabulaire associé
Mots lis
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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