Fabian

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fabian \Fa"bi*an\, a. [L. Fabianus, Fabius, belonging to
     Fabius.]
     Of, pertaining to, or in the manner of, the Roman general,
     Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus; cautious; dilatory;
     avoiding a decisive contest.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     {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.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fabian \Fa"bi*an\, a.
     1. Of or pertaining to the Roman gens Fabia.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. Designating, or pertaining to, a society of socialists,
        organized in England in 1884 to spread socialistic
        principles gradually without violent agitation.
  
              The Fabian Society proposes then to conquer by
              delay; to carry its programme, not by a hasty rush,
              but through the slower, but, as it thinks, surer
              methods of patient discussion, exposition, and
              political action.                     --William
                                                    Clarke.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fabian \Fa"bi*an\, n.
     A member of, or sympathizer with, the Fabian Society.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Fabian
       adj 1: of or relating to Fabianism; "the Fabian society"
       2: using cautious slow strategy to wear down opposition;
          avoiding direct confrontation; "a fabian policy" [syn: {dilatory}]
       n : a member of the Fabian Society in Britain

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "Fabian":
     Fabian socialist, Fourierist, Fourieristic, Marxist, Owenite,
     Saint-Simonian, collectivist, collectivistic, corrective,
     emendatory, extremist, gradualistic, meliorist, melioristic,
     phalansterian, progressionist, progressist, progressive,
     progressivist, radical, reformational, reformative, reformatory,
     reformer, reformist, reformistic, revisional, revisionist,
     revisory, revolutionary, socialist, socialistic, state socialist,
     utopian, utopian socialist, utopist