What does alguazil mean?
An alguazil was a minor officer of justice in Spain and Portugal — roughly equivalent to an English constable or bailiff — responsible for carrying out magistrates' orders, making arrests, and maintaining public order. The title also spread to Spain's and Portugal's colonies, where alguazils served as local law-enforcement officials under colonial administration. English writers encountered the word largely through translated Spanish literature, notably Cervantes's Don Quixote, where alguazils appear as the somewhat comic agents of authority. The term derives from Arabic via medieval Spanish, sharing its ultimate root with 'vizier', which gives it an unusual pedigree for such a modest office. Today the word survives almost exclusively in historical writing and literary translation, lending any sentence that uses it a distinctly period atmosphere.
nounA minor officer of justice in Spain or Portugal, equivalent to a constable or bailiff; the word is also used historically for such officers in Spanish and Portuguese colonies.
- A minor officer of justice or constable in Spain or Portugal.
- Historically, an officer of justice serving under Spanish or Portuguese colonial administration.
"The alguazil strode through the market square, warrant in hand, in search of the fugitive merchant."
"When the dispute turned violent, the alguazil was summoned to restore order in the plaza."
"In colonial Lima, the alguazil carried out the magistrate's orders with little ceremony."
Standard English pluralization applies.
"Two alguazils stood guard at the entrance to the courthouse."
Borrowed straight from Arabic, 'alguazil' preserves the title of a medieval Islamic minister — the same root that gave us 'vizier' — yet it ended up naming a humble Spanish street-level policeman.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alguazil
The word entered Spanish as 'alguacil' from Arabic al-wazīr ('the vizier'), reflecting the deep Arabic influence on Iberian language during the centuries of Muslim rule in the peninsula. The same Arabic root produced the English word 'vizier' directly. English adopted the term in its anglicized spelling 'alguazil', first appearing in English texts around the late sixteenth century through translations of Spanish works.
How alguazil is actually used
The word is archaic and chiefly historical, appearing mainly in translations of Spanish literature (such as Don Quixote) and in accounts of Iberian or colonial administration. It carries a slightly exotic, period flavor in English and would sound out of place in ordinary modern speech.
Easily confused with alguazil
Alguacil is simply the modern Spanish spelling of the same office, while 'alguazil' is the anglicized form used in English texts.