caudillo
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of caudillo
1850–55; < Spanish < Late Latin capitellum, equivalent to Latin capit- (stem of caput ) head + -ellum diminutive suffix; see -elle
Explanation
A Spanish warlord or powerful military leader is known as a caudillo. Usually, a caudillo exerts complete control over the country's armed forces. The term caudillo, which is used in Spain and Latin America, comes from the Latin caput, or "head." The most well-known caudillo in history was one who proudly assumed the title, though it's often used in a derogatory way. During the Spanish Civil War, Spain's General Francisco Franco began calling himself caudillo, inspired by the German Führer and Italian Duce, both titles for authoritarian military rulers.
Vocabulary lists containing caudillo
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:
The Tabasco-born caudillo sought to revive a centralized Mexico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026
But outside of those roles, Latino political power in L.A. is scattershot and riven with rivalries — it’s “Game of Thrones” with cumbia and tequila shots, caudillo vibes and huipil style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2023
“The attraction to a caudillo is a characteristic that many Latin American countries share,” the Peruvian journalist Diego Salazar told me.
From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2018
The caudillo clearly expected that his successor, Lenín Moreno, would follow his lead.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2018
Though Urquiza was a caudillo he had no such ambition for supreme power as plagued Rosas.
From The South American Republics Part I of II by Dawson, Thomas C.
He’s living up to a realpolitik maxim attributed to various Latin American caudillos: For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
Many countries fell under the domination of caudillos, or strongmen whose power stemmed from financial control of the land’s resources.
From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026
On the campaign trail in 2018, I heard stories about caudillos from recent immigrants who fled these regimes.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2019
Their popularity in Europe and the United States gave millions of Latin Americans the sense that they were part of a borderless, highly original culture that produced more than just caudillos, guerrilleros and boleros.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2018
Military chieftains, called "caudillos," organised the gauchos, who were excellent cavalry ready-made to their hands, and defied the Buenos Aires oligarchy.
From The South American Republics Part I of II by Dawson, Thomas C.
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.
