fabian
UK /ˈfeɪ.biː.ən/ · US /ˈfeɪ.bi.ən/ adjective, noun, proper noun
Forms Fabians
- adjective (military) Pertaining to or reminiscent of Roman general Fabius Maximus, whose tactics against Hannibal during the Second Punic War famously consisted of delaying or avoiding combat, focusing instead on weakening the enemy by cutting off supply lines.
- adjective (politics) Advocating that social reforms be reached through a series of gradual and moderate stages rather than sudden revolution; specifically, relating to the Fabian Society, a British socialist society advocating reformist socialism.
- adjective (by extension) Cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest.
- noun (politics) A Fabian socialist, a gradualist socialist; a member of the Fabian Society.
- proper noun (rare) A male given name from Latin.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”), derived from Fabius + -ānus.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of, pertaining to, or in the manner of, the Roman general, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus; cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest. Fabian policy, a policy like that of Fabius Maximus, who, by carefully avoiding decisive contests, foiled Hannibal, harassing his army by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades; a policy of delays and cautions.
Etymology [L. Fabianus, Fabius, belonging to Fabius.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fabian”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details