conquistador

noun

con·​quis·​ta·​dor kän-ˈkē-stə-ˌdȯr 

kən-,

 also  -ˈkwi-,

-ˈki-

plural conquistadores (ˌ)kän-ˌkē-stə-ˈdȯr-ēz 

-ˈdȯr-ˌās,

kən-;

(ˌ)kän-ˌkwi-,

-ˌki-

or conquistadors

: one that conquers

specifically : a leader in the Spanish conquest of America and especially of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century

Examples of conquistador in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But no, for all the talk of taking their game to all four corners of the world, football’s expansionists and modern-day conquistadores seem to have a strangely narrow worldview. —Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

Advertisement The conquistadors may have obsessed over El Dorado, but Ghana’s historic kingdom of Asante makes the mythical land feel a little drab by comparison. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025

Spanish conquistadores raped women at will. —Greg Grandin september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

This first in a duology takes place in Mexico in the 1500s, where the conquistadors have invaded and oppressed the native people. —Lia Amador, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, ultimately from Latin conquirere — see conquer

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conquistador

• forevermore
• hereinbefore
• kinetochore
• kwashiorkor
• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before

Kids Definition

conquistador

noun

con·​quis·​ta·​dor kȯŋ-ˈkēs-tə-ˌdȯ(ə)r 

kän-ˈk(w)is-,

kən-

plural conquistadores kȯŋ-ˌkēs-tə-ˈdȯr-ēz 

-ˈdȯr-ˌās;

-ˈdōr-;

kän-k(w)is-,

ˈkən-

or conquistadors

: a leader in the Spanish conquest of America in the 16th century

Etymology

Spanish, derived from Latin conquirere "to search for"