caudillo

noun

plural caudillos
: a Spanish or Latin American military dictator

Examples of caudillo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That includes Democrats calling Trump a caudillo — a stereotypical Latin American strongman — or Republicans accusing Biden for being socialist in the style of left-wing Latin American leaders. Syra Ortiz Blanes and, Miami Herald, 21 June 2024 And this caudillo style (to put it politely) is ensconced in the United States. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 June 2024 Some point to Latin America’s long tradition of strong, personalistic leaders, caudillos such as Simón Bolívar and Juan Manuel de Rosas who presided after the region’s wars for independence in the nineteenth century. Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2022 The three great caudillos of the Mexican Revolution were Villa, Zapata, and Obregón. Christian Schneider, National Review, 11 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for caudillo 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, "leader, chief" (medieval Spanish cabdiello), going back to Vulgar Latin *capitellus "leader" — more at cadet

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caudillo was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near caudillo

Cite this Entry

“Caudillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caudillo. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on caudillo

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!