praetorian

1. (Ancient Rome) Of or pertaining to a praetor.Ancient-Romenot-comparable

2. (Ancient Rome) Of or pertaining to the pretorium in an ancient Roman camp.Examples: "The praetorian gate was directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy."Ancient-Romenot-comparable

3. (Ancient Rome) Of or pertaining to the special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors.Examples: "praetorian guard"; "Hey, sir? Sir, excuse me?” The blonde was calling out to him, in imperious tones that insisted on a reply. Her satraps became watchful, like a Praetorian guard."Ancient-Romenot-comparable

4. (by extension) Corruptly mercenary and venal.broadlynot-comparable

1. (Ancient Rome) A praetor; a person of praetorian rank.Examples: "I am so rich, I could have given bid for bid with the wealthiest Prætorians at the auction of the Roman empire (which was the world’s); and yet I owe for the flesh in the tongue I brag with."Ancient-Rome

2. (Ancient Rome) Alternative letter-case form of Praetorian (“member of a special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors”).Examples: "Durry's work is still cited as the definitive study of the praetorians, and in fact most modern scholarship on the praetorians is based on material from his work."Ancient-Romealt-of

3. (by extension) A venal mercenary.Examples: "The Trump praetorians who initially denied there was any effort to pressure the Ukrainians into action on a Biden probe, possibly including the withholding of congressionally approved military aid, suddenly surfaced a new talking point: “They’re trying to turn what was a Biden scandal into a Trump scandal.”"broadly