praetorian
/pɹɪˈtɔːɹiən/adjective, noun
praetorian is spelled P-R-A-E-T-O-R-I-A-N: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,894th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, praetorian means “Of or pertaining to a praetor” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in praetorian?
| Letters | 10: P-R-A-E-T-O-R-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 62,894th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is praetorian?
Praetorian appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,894th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce praetorian?
- /pɹɪˈtɔːɹiən/
Praetorian has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with praetorian?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as praetorian.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: reparation.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of praetorian
- pretorian
- prætorian
- praetorians plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does praetorian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to a praetor.
- 2
Of or pertaining to the pretorium in an ancient Roman camp.
The praetorian gate was directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy.
- 3
Of or pertaining to the special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors.
praetorian guard
- 4
Corruptly mercenary and venal.
noun
- 1
A praetor; a person of praetorian rank.
- 2
Alternative letter-case form of Praetorian (“member of a special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors”).
- 3
A venal mercenary.
noun
- 1
A member of a special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors, their symbol being the scorpion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Praetorian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense member of that force:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prétorien |
| German | Prätorianer |
| Portuguese | pretoriano |
| Spanish | pretoriano |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does praetorian come from?
From Middle English pretorian, from Latin praetōriānus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).