Decurion

/dɪˈkjʊriən/ noun

Definition

In ancient Rome, the leader or commander of a decuria (a unit of ten soldiers or citizens).

Etymology

From Latin 'decurio', derived from 'decuria' (group of ten). The '-ion' suffix indicates a person holding a position.

Kelly Says

A decurion held a middle-management position—leading just ten soldiers might not sound impressive, but multiply that across hundreds of decurions and you have the backbone of Roman military might!

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Decurion (Roman military/administrative rank) uses masculine -ion suffix; while rank itself was male-exclusive in antiquity, modern usage should not assume gender of person holding comparable roles.

Inclusive Usage

Use with person's actual gender, or use gender-neutral 'decurion' without gendered article/pronoun.

Inclusive Alternatives

["regional administrator","rank-holder","officer"]

Related Words

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