Spanish Conversation · Level 118
59 words
Spanish word
cacique
Pronunciation
IPA/kaˈθike/
Meaning
- masculine nounchief
Example
El cacique de la tribu habla en la ceremonia.
The chief of the tribe speaks at the ceremony.
More examples
En las elecciones, los vecinos acusaron al cacique de la comunidad de manipular votos.
In the elections, the neighbors accused the community chief of manipulating votes.
Core concept
Village head combining traditional leadership and practical local power.
Common phrases
cacique de la comunidad
community chief
cacique político
political boss
Similar words
jefe: Organizational leader with formal authority to assign tasks and enforce policies.
líder: Figure who motivates and coordinates a group's actions through charisma or strategy.
Definition in Spanish
Jefe tradicional de una tribu o comunidad local que tiene poder e influencia sobre sus miembros.
Word origin
Derived from Taíno kasike 'chief', the term entered Spanish in the colonial period to denote community leaders.
Usage tips
- The word often extends beyond tribal chiefs to mean a regional strongman or patronage boss, so English 'chief' may miss those political overtones.
Other meanings
- village headnoun
- local strongmannoun
Opposites
- ciudadanocitizennoun
Related words
- caciquilcacique-likeadjective
- caciquismocaciquismnoun