praetorianism: Meaning and Definition of

prae•to•ri•an•ism

Pronunciation: (prē-tôr'ē-u-niz"um, -tōr'-), [key]
— n.
  1. the control of a society by force or fraud, esp. when exercised through titular officials and by a powerful minority.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.