caudillo
/kɔˈdiː(j)oʊ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.67 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A leader.
noun
A military dictator, especially one ruling in Spain, Portugal or Latin America.
name
A surname.
Example Sentences
- "While an America in decline may throw up a more competent caudillo than Trump in time, it is difficult to reasonably conclude that it possesses the societal solidarity to wage a decades-long, global struggle against a near-competitor."
- "For, despite all the debunking and cynicism in this generation, there still are, amazingly, trusting people around who need to believe in great helmsmen, dear leaders, fuhrers, presidents-for-life, generalissimos and charismatic caudillos."
- "Then there’s Mexico’s outgoing populist and wannabe caudillo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is pushing a crowd-pleasing law to require all judges be elected by popular vote, including to the Supreme Court."
Etymology
From Spanish caudillo, from Late Latin capitellum, based on Latin caput, capitis (“head”). Doublet of caddie, cadel, cadet, capital, and capitellum. More possible, from kaput and ili (iri, ür, uri: town), from Basque language. In Iberian ili is high point, high city.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kap-, caudillo, capitellum, caput