prae·to·ri·an
prē-ˈtȯr-ē-ən 
variants
or less commonly pretorian
1
often Praetorian
: of, forming, or resembling the Roman imperial bodyguard
2
: of or relating to a praetor
praetorian
noun
often Praetorian
pretor, pretorian
2 of 2
pre·tor
less common spellings of praetor, praetorian
: an ancient Roman magistrate ranking below a consul and having chiefly judicial functions
Examples of praetorian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
His Upper West Side neighbors protect the famously press-averse 88-year-old author like a Praetorian guard.
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
If Trump seeks an unconstitutional third term in 2028, one potential scenario could play out: A loyalist praetorian guard like that would be a threat to kill protesters and fight security units still loyal to the Constitution.
—Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
On a nearby hill overlooking the highway was the chemical warfare battalion base for the 4th Armored Division, an elite unit led by Assad’s younger brother Maher and which had acted as a sort of praetorian guard for his government.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
As Parties Look To Schedule More Talks To that end, Gov. Newsom will be joined at today’s press conference by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and a praetorian guard of labor leaders, below-the-line workers, state officials and industry advisors.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024
In addition, a strong message needs to be sent to both Cuba and Russia, which have created a praetorian guard to surround and protect Maduro.
—Marshall Billingslea, National Review, 9 May 2021
The brigade received counter-insurgency training by North Korean advisers and was known as the elite praetorian guard of Mugabe, directly answerable to his office.
—Bram Janssen and Andrew Meldrum, Fox News, 28 July 2018
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Adjective
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was founded as a sort of praetorian guard, intended to be only a few thousand strong, meant to safeguard the Islamic revolution.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
His Upper West Side neighbors protect the famously press-averse 88-year-old author like a Praetorian guard.
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
If Trump seeks an unconstitutional third term in 2028, one potential scenario could play out: A loyalist praetorian guard like that would be a threat to kill protesters and fight security units still loyal to the Constitution.
—Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
On a nearby hill overlooking the highway was the chemical warfare battalion base for the 4th Armored Division, an elite unit led by Assad’s younger brother Maher and which had acted as a sort of praetorian guard for his government.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
As Parties Look To Schedule More Talks To that end, Gov. Newsom will be joined at today’s press conference by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and a praetorian guard of labor leaders, below-the-line workers, state officials and industry advisors.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2024
In addition, a strong message needs to be sent to both Cuba and Russia, which have created a praetorian guard to surround and protect Maduro.
—Marshall Billingslea, National Review, 9 May 2021
The brigade received counter-insurgency training by North Korean advisers and was known as the elite praetorian guard of Mugabe, directly answerable to his office.
—Bram Janssen and Andrew Meldrum, Fox News, 28 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Praetorian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/praetorian. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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