teutonic order: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Historical, Academic
Quick answer
What does “teutonic order” mean?
A medieval German military and religious order founded in the 12th century.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medieval German military and religious order founded in the 12th century.
The Teutonic Order was a Catholic military order that played a major role in the Northern Crusades, the Christianisation of Eastern Europe, and later became a charitable religious order.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage or meaning; the term is equally historical/academic in both varieties.
Connotations
Historical, militaristic, crusading, monastic, East European colonial history.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse, but appears with equal rarity in historical texts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “teutonic order” in a Sentence
the Teutonic Order [verb] (e.g., *conquered, established, fought*)the [noun] of the Teutonic Order (e.g., *knights, rule, decline*)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “teutonic order” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The region was Teutonised by the Order's policies.
American English
- The region was Teutonized by the Order's policies.
adverb
British English
- They ruled Teutonically, imposing their own laws and faith.
American English
- They ruled Teutonically, imposing their own laws and faith.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in historical studies of medieval Europe, the Crusades, Baltic history, and military orders.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used as a precise historical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “teutonic order”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “teutonic order”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “teutonic order”
- Spelling 'Teutonic' as 'Tutonic' or 'Teutonik'.
- Using lower case ('teutonic order').
- Confusing it with the Knights Templar or Knights Hospitaller.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but not as a military order. It continues to exist as a Catholic religious order focused on charitable work.
They were separate military orders. The Templars were founded in Jerusalem and had a focus on the Holy Land. The Teutonic Order was German, founded later in Acre, and became most prominent in the Baltic region.
The word 'Teutonic' derives from the Latin 'Teutoni', an ancient Germanic tribe, and is used to refer to things Germanic, particularly in historical contexts.
Its headquarters moved over time: from Acre to Venice, then to Marienburg (Malbork) in Prussia, and later to Mergentheim in Germany after its secularisation.
A medieval German military and religious order founded in the 12th century.
Teutonic order is usually historical, academic in register.
Teutonic order: in British English it is pronounced /tjuːˌtɒnɪk ˈɔːdə/, and in American English it is pronounced /tuːˌtɑːnɪk ˈɔːrdər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none directly associated with the proper noun]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'TEUtons' (an ancient Germanic tribe) + 'KNIGHTs' + 'ORDer' = The Teutonic Order.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNIGHTLY ORDER AS A MILITARY MACHINE / A FORTRESS OF FAITH.
Practice
Quiz
The Teutonic Order was primarily active in which region after the 13th century?