hidalgo
noun
a man of the lower nobility in Spain.
hidalgo
1 American
[hi-dal-goh, ee-thahl-gaw]
/ hɪˈdæl goʊ, iˈðɑl gɔ /
noun
-
hidalgos
plural
-
a man of the lower nobility in Spain.
-
(in Spanish America) a man who owns considerable property or is otherwise esteemed.
Hidalgo
2
American
[hi-dal-goh, ee-thahl-gaw]
/ hɪˈdæl goʊ, iˈðɑl gɔ /
noun
-
Juan c1600–85, Spanish composer and harpist.
-
a state in central Mexico. 8,057 sq. mi. (20,870 sq. km). Pachuca.
Hidalgo
1
British
/ hɪˈdælɡəʊ, iˈðalɣo /
noun
hidalgo
2
British
/ hɪˈdælɡəʊ, iˈðalɣo /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hidalgo
1585–95; < Spanish, contraction of hijo dalgo, Old Spanish fijo dalgo a noble, a person with property, a son with something < Latin filius son + dē from + aliquō something
Explanation
In Spanish and Portuguese history, a hidalgo was a member of the nobility. Hidalgos were born into their positions, which gave them certain privileges in society, like not having to pay taxes. Hidalgo comes from the Spanish hijo de algo, "a person born into wealth," or literally, "son of something." The 12th-century hidalgo class was considered "lesser nobility," or lower in rank than many other noblemen. It wasn't common for a hidalgo to own land. Still, they enjoyed many benefits of their inherited place in society, including the right to bear arms and be exempt from taxation.
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:
Still, he regularly returned to his masked hidalgo.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 10, 2019
Today life makes such demands on man that the noble hidalgo Don Juan is to be seen nowhere save in the theater.
From Time Magazine Archive
In that piece an old Spanish hidalgo in New Mexico in 1847 detects in his son democratic tendencies.
From Time Magazine Archive
Suddenly a passing hidalgo pushed against the King.
From The Story of Seville by C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine) Hartley
"I say, hidalgo mio," called out Ernest, "what sort of a don is this same Conde?"
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846 by Various
"It's like being fired," Leandro Hidalgo, a delivery driver and union representative, told AFP, accusing the platforms of "financial slavery."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Pasties are very much part of matchdays in Hidalgo, although the Mexican versions traditionally contain beef and vegetables, like their Cornish counterpart, but with added chilli.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
His predecessor Anne Hidalgo had made her mark with vigorously anti-car policies which were in general supported by voters.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame: The ACC player of the year leads the nation with 5.4 steals per game and is known as one of the dynamic playmakers in the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
“It’s okay to feel anxious,” Mrs. Hidalgo said.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
The roars of shirtless .peons and the cheers of hidalgos forgetful of their dignity drowned his Majesty's words in praise of General Primo de Rivera, "the Conqueror of Ajdir."
From Time Magazine Archive
Spanish taximen are men of honor, proud as hidalgos, and members of a Socialist union.
From Time Magazine Archive
In Spain his ancestors were hidalgos, favourites at the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella; but in the great expulsion of 1492 they preferred exile in Poland to baptism.
From The Melting-Pot by Israel Zangwill
The hidalgos wear the long cloak and wide sombrero common to all the country districts of Spain.
From Spanish Life in Town and Country by William Harbutt Dawson
We ought in the first place to rise, not against the French, but against the Juntas, and the councillors, and the hidalgos.
From Under Wellington's Command A Tale of the Peninsular War by Walter Paget
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.
