presidio

noun

pre·​si·​dio pri-ˈsē-dē-ˌō How to pronounce presidio (audio)
-ˈsi-,
-ˈzē-,
-ˈzi- How to pronounce presidio (audio)
plural presidios
: a garrisoned place
especially : a military post or fortified settlement in areas currently or originally under Spanish control

Examples of presidio 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.
The presidio was also built over the location of La Salle’s ‘fort’. Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Mar. 2024 The slow-growing trees are increasingly hard to find in the wild because of development, and at least two varieties have been listed as endangered in California, presidio manzanita (Arctostaphylos montana ssp. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024 Presidio Park contains remnants of the Spanish presidio from 1769. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2023 In the heart of historic Santa Barbara, between where the Spanish built the original presidio and today’s City Hall, sits El Paseo, which is considered California’s first outdoor mall. Matt Kettmann, SFChronicle.com, 30 July 2019 See all Example Sentences for presidio 

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin praesidium

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of presidio was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near presidio

Cite this Entry

“Presidio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presidio. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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