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
At that moment a page brought word to the King that the dead body of a hidalgo had been found, early that morning, in the plaza near where the Casa Pilatos now stands.
From The Story of Seville by C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine) Hartley
Sometimes he assumes the serious ferocity of a brigand chief or the haughty punctiliousness of a hidalgo.
From The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the First by Carlo Gozzi
“Student housing is a new undertaking for LACCD, and the District is learning from each step of this work,” Hidalgo said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The first reference on record to Cornish miners playing sport in Hidalgo is actually about cricket.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Inside the 25,000-seater Estadio Hidalgo in east-central Mexico, fans unfurl a tifo featuring a miner.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Hidalgo thinks Whittier should serve as a guiding light for Latino politics in Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
“An ofrenda is an offering,” 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
Still, if there were no hidalgos perched on her family tree, Mrs. Gilbert probably had some good blood in her veins.
From The Magnificent Montez From Courtesan to Convert by Horace Wyndham
Again, the men involved in that conspiracy are not hidalgos, ancien régime, nor any of the proud aristocracies of the old world, who, when beaten, retire upon their dignity and hide their time.
From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 1, January, 1864 by Various
Looking round to the other hidalgos, he discovered that they all kept their eyes upon his companion with looks of the deepest respect.
From Calavar or The Knight of The Conquest, A Romance of Mexico by Robert Montgomery Bird
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