What does conquistador mean?
A conquistador was a Spanish soldier-explorer who took part in the conquest of the Americas during the sixteenth century, most famously Hernán Cortés, who defeated the Aztec Empire in 1521, and Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Inca state a decade later. Drawn largely from the poorer gentry of Extremadura and Castile, these expeditions were private ventures licensed by the Spanish Crown, motivated by gold, land, and religious zeal. The word derives directly from Spanish 'conquistador', meaning 'conqueror', itself rooted in Latin 'conquirere', 'to seek out or acquire'. Today the term is used almost exclusively in historical contexts, and it frequently carries dark connotations: the conquests it names brought catastrophic epidemics, enslavement, and cultural destruction to Indigenous peoples alongside extraordinary feats of exploration. Writers and historians use it both for the men themselves and figuratively, to evoke ruthless ambition or imperial adventurism. It remains one of the most evocative words associated with the colonial encounter between Europe and the Americas.
nounA Spanish conqueror or explorer who took part in the 16th-century conquest of the Americas, especially of Mexico and Peru.
- A Spanish conqueror of Mexico, Peru, or other parts of the Americas during the 16th century.
- By extension, any conqueror or adventurer of a similar bold, acquisitive spirit (less common).
"The conquistador Hernán Cortés led the expedition that toppled the Aztec Empire in 1521."
"Pizarro's small band of conquistadors seized the Inca emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca in 1532."
"In the novel, an aging conquistador reflects on the gold he never found in the mountains of New Spain."
Both plurals are accepted; 'conquistadores' follows the original Spanish form and is preferred in scholarly writing, while 'conquistadors' is the more anglicized variant seen frequently in general use.
"The museum displayed armor worn by the conquistadores who marched into the Andes."
Fewer than 2,000 men toppled the Aztec Empire — but it was smallpox, not swords, that did most of the killing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conquistador
The word comes straight from Spanish 'conquistador', meaning 'conqueror', formed from 'conquistar' ('to conquer'), which descends from Latin 'conquirere' ('to seek out, procure, acquire'). It entered English in the early nineteenth century as historians and translators began writing extensively about the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Peru; earlier English texts usually referred simply to 'Spanish conquerors'. Cognates include English 'conquest' and 'acquire', which share the same Latin root, and the related Romance forms such as Italian 'conquistatore'.
How conquistador is actually used
The word carries strong historical weight and often negative modern connotations tied to colonial violence and disease; it is used almost exclusively to refer to the Spanish conquest era rather than as a general term for conquerors. The plural is typically 'conquistadores' in careful usage, though 'conquistadors' is widely accepted.
Easily confused with conquistador
'Conqueror' is a general term for anyone who overcomes by force, while 'conquistador' specifically denotes a Spanish soldier-explorer involved in conquering the Americas in the 1500s.