Byzantium

B3Y4Z10A1N1T1I1U1M3
/bɪˈzæn.ti.əm//baɪˈzæn.ti.əm/

proper noun

An ancient Greek city situated on the Bosporus in modern Turkey, renamed Constantinople in 330 C.E.; modern Istanbul.

OriginLatin Bȳzantium ← Ancient Greek Βῡζᾰ́ντῐον (Būzắntĭon) ← Thracian *būzas →
Less commonScrabble 25
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. historicalAn ancient Greek city situated on the Bosporus in modern Turkey, renamed Constantinople in 330 C.E.; modern Istanbul.
  2. broadlyhistoricalAn ancient Greek empire in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia, with its capital at Constantinople; in full, Byzantine Empire.
nounByzantium (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA dark shade of purple, close to Tyrian purple and palatinate purple.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
byzantine empireconstantinopleistanbul

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰuǵ-
  2. Thracian*būzas
  3. Ancient GreekΒῡ́ζᾱς (Bū́zās)
  4. Ancient GreekΒῡζᾰ́ντῐον (Būzắntĭon)
  5. LatinBȳzantium
  6. EnglishByzantium

From Latin Bȳzantium, from Ancient Greek Βῡζᾰ́ντῐον (Būzắntĭon), named after its legendary founder, Byzas.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Βυζάντιον
  • Βυζάντιον (Buzántion)ancient Greek city
Arabic بِيزَنْطَة
  • بِيزَنْطَة (bīzanṭa)ancient Greek city
Basque Bizantzio
  • Bizantzioancient Greek city
Bengali বাইজান্টিয়াম
  • বাইজান্টিয়াম (baijanṭiẏam)ancient Greek city
Bulgarian Византион
  • Византион (Vizantion)ancient Greek city
Catalan Bizanci
  • Bizanciancient Greek city
Chinese Cantonese 拜占庭
  • 拜占庭 (baai³ zim¹ ting⁴)ancient Greek city
Chinese Mandarin 拜占庭
  • 拜占庭 (Bàizhàntíng)ancient Greek city
Czech Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
Danish Byzans
  • Byzansancient Greek city
Dutch Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
Esperanto Bizanco
  • Bizancoancient Greek city
Estonian Bütsants
  • Bütsantsancient Greek city
Finnish Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
French Byzance
  • Byzanceancient Greek city
German Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
Greek Βυζάντιο
  • Βυζάντιο (Vyzántio)ancient Greek city
Hebrew בִּיזַנְטְיוֹן
  • בִּיזַנְטְיוֹן (bizantyón)ancient Greek city
Hindi बाईज़ान्टियाम
  • बाईज़ान्टियाम (bāīzānṭiyām)ancient Greek city
Hungarian Bizánc
  • Bizáncancient Greek city
Indonesian Byzantium
  • Byzantiumancient Greek city
Irish Biosáintiam
  • Biosáintiamancient Greek city
Italian Bisanzio
  • Bisanzioancient Greek city
Japanese ビュザンティオン
  • ビュザンティオン (Byuzantion)ancient Greek city
Korean 비잔티온, 비잔티움
  • 비잔티온 (Bijantion)ancient Greek city
  • 비잔티움 (Bijantium)ancient Greek city
Latin Bȳzantium
  • Bȳzantiumancient Greek city
Latvian Bizantija
  • Bizantijaancient Greek city
Lithuanian Bizantija
  • Bizantijaancient Greek city
Malay Byzantium
  • Byzantiumancient Greek city
Norwegian Bokmål Bysants
  • Bysantsancient Greek city
Persian بیزانس, روم
  • بیزانس (bizâns)ancient Greek city
  • روم (rum)ancient Greek city
  • بوزنطین (buzantin)ancient Greek city
  • بوزنطه (buzante)ancient Greek city
Polish Bizancjum
  • Bizancjumancient Greek city
Portuguese Bizâncio
  • Bizâncioancient Greek city
Romanian Bizanț
  • Bizanțancient Greek city
Russian Виза́нтий
  • Виза́нтий (Vizántij)ancient Greek city
Slovak Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
Spanish Bizancio
  • Bizancioancient Greek city
Swedish Byzantion
  • Byzantionancient Greek city
Thai บิแซนเทียม
  • บิแซนเทียมancient Greek city
Turkish Bizantion
  • Bizantionancient Greek city
Ukrainian Віза́нтій
  • Віза́нтій (Vizántij)ancient Greek city
Welsh Bysantiwm
  • Bysantiwmancient Greek city
Cite this entry
APA

Byzantium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Byzantium

MLA

“Byzantium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Byzantium. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Byzantium,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Byzantium.

Source: Byzantium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.