guerilla
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Explanation
The word guerilla is another way to spell "guerrilla": a member of a small, loosely organized army that fights a larger, stronger force. If you're a guerilla, you confront enemies unexpectedly and use tactics such as sabotage, raids, and ambushes. A guerilla is not a member of a state-sponsored army. Instead he or she is part of a smaller, independent army that fights a larger, more established force by using tactics that include the element of surprise. Also known as an insurgent or irregular, a guerilla usually exists outside mainstream society and typically has taken a position of active revolt or rebellion against the established ruling power.
Vocabulary lists containing guerilla
South America - Middle School
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Africa - Middle School
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Prince (1958-2016) Tribute List
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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.
Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci, sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday for war crimes, has long been seen within the Balkan country as a guerilla hero and symbol of its bloody independence struggle.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Smita Dahal, granddaughter of a three-time prime minister and former Maoist guerilla leader, who was criticised for showing off her expensive handbag collection, has her Instagram account set to private.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
In March 2022, Fuerza Regida embarked on a guerilla marketing campaign to promote an upcoming show at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. The San Bernardino-based quintet had already reached the top of Billboard’s U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2024
She founded an organization that defended former military officers who were put on trial and participated in rallies involving relatives of victims of terrorist attacks committed in the 1970s by leftist guerilla groups.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
Many of those who fled were reportedly undergoing guerilla training in neighbouring black states under the aegis of Umkhonto We Sizwe.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
