Franco

¹ American  

[frang-koh, frahng-kaw] / ˈfræŋ koʊ, ˈfrɑŋ kɔ /

noun

1. Francisco, Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco-BahamondeEl Caudillo, 1892–1975, Spanish military leader and dictator: chief of state 1939–47; regent of the kingdom of Spain 1947–75.

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Franco- ² American  

1. a combining form representing French or France:

   Francophile; Franco-Prussian.

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Franco ¹ British  

/ ˈfraŋko, ˈfræŋkəʊ /

noun

1. Francisco (franˈθisko), called el Caudillo. 1892–1975, Spanish general and statesman; head of state (1939–1975). He was commander-in-chief of the Falangists in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), defeating the republican government and establishing a dictatorship (1939). He kept Spain neutral in World War II

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Franco- ² British  

/ ˈfræŋkəʊ- /

combining form

1. indicating France or French

   Franco-Prussian

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Other Word Forms

• Francoism noun
• Francoist noun

Etymology

Origin of Franco-

< Medieval Latin Franc ( us ) a Frank, a Frenchman + -o-

Example Sentences

The U.S. cooperated with Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who offered military bases during the Cold War.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Juan Carlos, who is 88, took the throne in 1975, following the death of his mentor, the dictator Francisco Franco.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

These comparisons aren’t exactly nuanced but they are stark and, for most of the film, Franco just asks us to watch them move together and apart, in a strange, avoidant pas de deux.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

The failed putsch came six years after the death of General Francisco Franco and was orchestrated by military officers nostalgic for the privileges they enjoyed during more than four decades of his dictatorship.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

He found Father Franco, jacket off and needing a shave, sitting behind a cluttered desk.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer