BYZANTINE describes something that is excessively complex. I was surprised but very pleased to see BYZANTINE as a correct answer on the September 2026 SAT. Surprised because this marks the first time BYZANTINE has ever appeared on an SAT. Pleased because it brings back memories of one of my favorite European history lessons.
My European history course featured sets of pictures and artistic recreations that enabled me to take the class on “tours” of famous cities such as ancient Athens, Rome, and of course Constantinople. Founded by Constantine the Great in 330 AD, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Our tour included a stop at Justinian the Great’s palace. I always emphasized that the royal court had a well-deserved reputation for being excessively complex and secretive. Their intricate bureaucracy gave us the modern word BYZANTINE.
Unfortunately, SAT test writers did not take test-takers on a tour of Constantinople. Instead, their passage described an antiquated network of aging electrical wires. The complex tangle of wires presented electricians with a truly BYZANTINE mess!
I’m happy to report that my students correctly used process of elimination to logically delete RUDIMENTARY (basic, elementary) and FRAUDULENT deliberately fake) as wrong answers. As a result, they all got the question right – YEA!
BYZANTINE – excessively complex; intricate