guerrilla

1 of 2

noun

guer·​ril·​la gə-ˈri-lə 

ge-,

g(y)i-

variants or guerilla

: a person who engages in irregular warfare especially as a member of an independent unit carrying out harassment and sabotage (see sabotage sense 2)

Guerrillas controlled half the country.

guerrilla

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or suggestive of guerrillas especially in being aggressive, radical, or unconventional

guerrilla warfare

Examples of guerrilla in a Sentence

Noun

The guerrillas controlled half the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Their guerrilla tactics were effective, and in 1533 the Spanish signed a treaty with their chief leader, Enriquillo, that ended hostilities in exchange for land and freedom. —Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Trump orders a limited air attack in a remote Venezuelan area, perhaps targeting a base of the National Liberation Army (ELN) narco-guerrilla group on the border with Colombia, a Venezuelan military runway or a cocaine lab in the jungle. —Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

Adjective

She became known as a muse of desbunde, an anti-military but also anti-guerrilla nonconformist zeitgeist. —Phil Davison, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2022

The attacks have prompted Moscow to send anti-guerrilla units to Kherson, Mr. Saldo said. —Yuras Karmanau and Hanna Arhirova, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Spanish guerrilla, from diminutive of guerra war, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werra strife — more at war

First Known Use

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing guerrilla

• anti-guerrilla
• guerrilla theater

Rhymes for guerrilla

• axilla
• flotilla
• gorilla
• guerilla
• manilla
• mantilla
• maxilla
• mesilla
• papilla
• priscilla
• scintilla
• sensilla

Kids Definition

guerrilla

noun

guer·​ril·​la

variants or guerilla

gə-ˈril-ə

: a member of a band of persons engaged in warfare not as part of a regular army but as an independent unit making surprise raids behind enemy lines

guerrilla adjective

Etymology

Noun

from Spanish guerrilla, literally, "small war," from guerra "war"