condottiere

[ kawn-duh-tyair-ey, -tyair-ee; Italian kawn-dawt-tye-re ]
See synonyms for condottiere on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural con·dot·tie·ri [kawn-duh-tyair-ee; Italian kawn-dawt-tye-ree]. /ˌkɔn dəˈtyɛər i; Italian ˌkɔn dɔtˈtyɛ ri/.
  1. a leader of a private band of mercenary soldiers in Italy, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries.

  2. any mercenary; soldier of fortune.

Origin of condottiere

1
1785–95; <Italian, equivalent to condott(o) (<Latin conductus hired man, past participle of condūcere to conduce; see conduct) + -iere<Latin -ārius-ary

Words Nearby condottiere

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use condottiere in a sentence

  • Meeting with the band of Oldrado Sampuynano, the condottiere, she enlisted under his banner.

  • He's a species of condottiere; we can buy his allegiance with his service: and we must forego the sentimental objection.

    The Quality of Mercy | W. D. Howells
  • But he was really little more than a condottiere, and his orthodoxy was suspect.

  • Seeing that the indignation of her mistress merely amused the condottiere the dwarf took a cajoling tone.

    Romance of Roman Villas | Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) Champney
  • Henry of Navarre shall in reality be nothing but your condottiere, and I will not be exigeante.

    Romance of Roman Villas | Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) Champney

British Dictionary definitions for condottiere

condottiere

/ (ˌkɒndɒˈtjɛərɪ) /


nounplural -ri (-riː)
  1. a commander or soldier in a professional mercenary company in Europe from the 13th to the 16th centuries

Origin of condottiere

1
C18: from Italian, from condotto leadership, from condurre to lead, from Latin condūcere; see conduct

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012