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

However, once Hernán Cortés triumphed, the conquistadors went from waging war — vanquishing the Aztecs — to the project of subjugating Indigenous holdouts and building a self-sustaining territory loyal to the crown. —Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

With the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, other spices were added, enriching its flavor. —Imelda García, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026

What to Do Mérida, which was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1540, became wildly wealthy in the 19th century thanks to the manufacture and export of sisal fiber, used for rope and textiles. —April Long, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026

Hatuey, the Taíno chief who fought the Spanish conquistadores and is known as the Americas’ earliest revolutionary, was a caudillo. —Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 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"