Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

filibuster

/ˈfɪləˌbəstər/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.89 in modern English

Syllables
fil-i-bus-ter
IPA
/ˈfɪləˌbəstər/
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A member of a legislative body causing such an obstruction.

American usage

verb

To use obstructionist tactics in a legislative body.

Intransitive verb; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish filibustero (“pirate”), from French flibustier, ultimately from Dutch vrijbuiter (“freebooter”), from vrij (“free”) + buit (“booty”) + -er (“agent”). The alteration in the first syllable in French is due to the word's being somewhat conflated with vlieboot (“light, flat-bottomed cargo vessel with two or three masts”) when it was borrowed into French or another language from Dutch. The word is cognate and analogous to English freebooter.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈfɪləˌbəstər/
  • British English: /ˈfɪlɪbʌstə(ɹ)/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce filibuster?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfɪləˌbəstər/.
What does filibuster mean?
A mercenary soldier; a freebooter; specifically, a mercenary who travelled illegally in an organized group from the United States to a country in Central America or the Spanish West Indies in the mid-19th century seeking economic and political benefits through armed force.
Where does filibuster come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce filibuster

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “filibuster”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈfɪləˌbəstər/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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