caudillismo

[kaw-dil-yiz-moh, ‑dee-yiz-, kou-thee-lyeez-maw, ‑thee-yeez-maw]

noun

plural

caudillismos 

1. a system of government by a caudillo.

2. a state or government in which a caudillo exercises absolute power.

Word History and Origins

Origin of caudillismo¹

First recorded in 1955–60; from Spanish; caudillo ( def. ) + suffix -ismo -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

But in the Latin American tradition of caudillismo, institutions are useful only if they serve the leader.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Why should Democrats have assumed that newly naturalized citizens would be progressive, rather than importing, out of pure habit, the machismo and caudillismo of Guatemala or Honduras, or the authoritarianism of South Asia?

Read more on Salon

Two interconnected problems have confronted Latin American writers since the end of European colonialism — the often malign influence of the United States and the system of rule by authoritarian strongmen known as caudillismo.

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When I asked who was in charge of the Civic Alliance, Alemán said, “There isn’t a leader, out of fear of succumbing to caudillismo”—rule by strongman.

Read more on The New Yorker

But Trump isn’t importing Latin caudillismo or Russian despotism.

Read more on Slate