caudillo

noun

cau·​di·​llo kau̇-ˈt͟hē-(ˌ)yō How to pronounce caudillo (audio) -ˈt͟hēl-(ˌ)yō How to pronounce caudillo (audio)
plural caudillos
Synonyms of caudillonext
: 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.
Hatuey, the Taíno chief who fought the Spanish conquistadores and is known as the Americas’ earliest revolutionary, was a caudillo. — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025 Instead of building strong political parties with coherent platforms, the country ended up with rival caudillos— Sandinista on the left and anti-Sandinista on the right. — Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025 Deriving from the word caudillo, or strongman, caudillismo is a quintessential Latin American political phenomenon. — Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2025 Maduro’s arrest is being compared to the 1989 invasion of Panama and rendition of its caudillo, Manuel Noriega, to Miami to be convicted of drug trafficking and other crimes. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026 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

Rhymes for caudillo

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Browse Nearby Words

caudillismo
caudillo
Caudine Forks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Caudillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caudillo. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on caudillo

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for caudillo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caudillo

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