What does falangist mean?
A falangist is a member or supporter of the Falange, the Spanish political movement founded in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera, which embraced fascist-style nationalism, centralised authority, and anti-communism. Under Francisco Franco, the Falange became the ruling party of the Spanish state, and the word falangist consequently became shorthand for loyalists of that regime and its ideology. In broader use, the term describes anyone holding authoritarian, ultranationalist views reminiscent of the movement, and it is almost always used critically or pejoratively. The word derives ultimately from the Greek phalanx, the close-order infantry formation, via the Spanish Falange. It appears chiefly in historical writing about twentieth-century Spain and in political commentary where speakers wish to characterise an opponent's politics as rigidly reactionary. Related terms include Falangism, the ideology itself, and the differently spelled phalangist, which more often refers to Lebanon's Kataeb Party.
A member or supporter of the Spanish Falange, or a follower of its authoritarian nationalist ideology.
"Many of Franco's early ministers were avowed falangists."
Often capitalized as Falangist when referring specifically to the historical Spanish movement.
Relating to or characteristic of the Falange or its ideology.
"The building still bore faded Falangist slogans on its walls."
Commonly capitalized in this sense.
Standard plural, used both for members of the movement and for adherents of similar ideologies.
"Thousands of falangists marched through Madrid in the parade."
The word comes from the Greek phalanx — the tight infantry formation — reborn in the twentieth century as the name of Spain's fascist movement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of falangist
Falangist comes from the Spanish Falange, the name of the political party founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933, which was itself inspired by Italian fascism. The Spanish word Falange is borrowed from French phalange, ultimately from Greek phalanx, meaning a body of troops in close formation. The English suffix -ist marks an adherent, giving a word that entered English during the era of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's rule. Cognates sharing the same Greek root include phalanx, phalange, and phalangist.
Related word forms
How falangist is actually used
Usually capitalized when referring strictly to the historical Spanish movement (Falangist), but lowercase forms are common in extended political usage. The term is strongly pejorative in most modern contexts.
Easily confused with falangist
Phalangist (Greek-derived spelling) usually refers to members of Lebanon's Kataeb Party, while falangist specifically denotes supporters of Spain's Falange.