condottiere
Americannoun
-
condottieri
plural
-
a leader of a private band of mercenary soldiers in Italy, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries.
-
any mercenary; soldier of fortune.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of condottiere
1785–95; < Italian, equivalent to condott ( o ) (< Latin conductus hired man, past participle of condūcere to conduce; see conduct) + -iere < Latin -ārius -ary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A body of disbanded mercenaries form themselves into the first condottiere company known in Italy.
From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 07 by Rossiter Johnson
The man still wore his mask, but at the first word which he uttered Brandilancia to his astonishment recognised the condottiere Radicofani.
From Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance) by Elizabeth W. (Elizabeth Williams) Champney
After serving some time as a condottiere with the princes of Southern Italy, he was entrusted by the Genoese with the reconstruction of their fleet.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various
His two masterpieces are "The Incredulity of St. Thomas" and the statue of Colleoni, the celebrated condottiere who had commanded the Venetian troops.
From The Century of Columbus by James J. Walsh
Seeing that Bonaparte was then known merely as an able condottiere, not as the re-organizer of French society, Pitt's haughty attitude, though deplorable, is intelligible.
From William Pitt and the Great War by John Holland Rose
Xenophon became in essence a mercenary lord, somewhat like the condottieri of Renaissance Italy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Like the humanist condottieri of 15th century Italy, they built themselves impregnable and magnificent castles.
From Time Magazine Archive
The chosen electors went about that serious task with all the noble intent and show of national interest of a group of condottieri.
From Time Magazine Archive
As a result, these condottieri have conducted Italy into slavery and disgrace.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
This man, as I said, having been named by the Syracusans commander of their armies, immediately realized that mercenary forces were useless, since their condottieri were men like our Italian condottieri.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
