Californio

noun

Cal·​i·​for·​nio ˌka-lə-ˈfȯr-nē-ˌō 

plural Californios

1

: one of the original Spanish colonists of California or their descendants

2

: a native or resident of California

Examples of Californio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Andres Pico was a Californio statesmen and acting governor of Alta California, and Lt. Col. John C. Fremont was an American army officer always on the lookout for glory, whatever his orders. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024

Joaquín Murrieta was a Californio who supposedly fought against American colonizers arriving during the Gold Rush, after the U.S. invasion of Mexico. —Rodrigo Cervantes, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023

Young Californio men were thus placed in a vise: They were forced to accept older gringos marrying Californio women who otherwise might have been romantic prospects for them, but the few gringo women were off limits. —Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from California

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1