condor

American  

[kon-der, -dawr] / ˈkɒn dər, -dɔr /

noun

• condors
  plural

1. either of two large, New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, Gymnogyps californianus California condor or Vultur gryphus Andean condor, the largest flying birds in the Western Hemisphere: the California condor is almost extinct; the Andean condor is greatly reduced in number and rare in many areas.

2. a former coin of Chile equal to 10 pesos.

3. a former coin of Ecuador equal to 10 sucres.

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condor British  

/ ˈkɒndɔː /

noun

1. either of two very large rare New World vultures, Vultur gryphus ( Andean condor ), which has black plumage with white around the neck, and Gymnogyps californianus ( California condor ), which is similar but nearly extinct

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• condors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of condor

First recorded in 1595–1605; from South American Spanish, from Quechua kuntur

Compare meaning

How does condor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• condor vs. vulture

Explanation

A condor is a vulture with a huge wingspan. The California condor has been reintroduced after being declared extinct in the wild in 1987. There are two species of condor, the Andean condor and the California condor. Both are enormous vultures that feed on carrion. Since a captive breeding program and conservation efforts allowed their return to the wild, there are about 500 California condors living today. It's the largest land bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to nearly ten feet. The word condor is derived from the Quechua word for the bird, kuntur.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

condor condors

Thanks to a recovery program under the act, the condor population has since soared to several hundreds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

A California condor known as Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chweenkah’ — Yurok for “She carries our prayers” — has been flying to a particular spot deep inside Redwood National Park, near Klamath.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

Hopes are high but tempered; often a condor couple’s first egg doesn’t survive because they’re still figuring out the care process.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

“The care and well being that our animal care team provides continues to be innovative and advances the success of the condor program every year.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025

I saw enormous puma and condor statues carved from solid rock.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

Two California condors recovering from lead poisoning were briefly stranded this week after the fire engulfed the road to the Ventana Wildlife Society’s Discovery Center where they were recuperating.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

More than two decades ago, the Yurok Tribe decided they wanted to bring condors back to their ancestral territory in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, according to Williams-Claussen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

Five years later, all the remaining wild condors were captured and bred in captivity to try to stave off extinction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

The Tule River acquisition restores some of the tribe’s sacred homeland, and will enable a host of conservation projects, including protecting the Deer Creek watershed, protecting habitat for California condors and reintroducing tule elk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

A painted river snaked its way along one wall, and carved condors soared toward the roof.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis