guerrilla
guerrilla Lexical Profile
guerrilla Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or denoting irregular combatants or their unconventional, hit-and-run military tactics.
"The historian specialized in how guerrilla movements shaped postcolonial governance in the twentieth century."
Performed in an impromptu, unauthorized, or unconventional manner outside established institutional channels, especially in marketing, filmmaking, or public art.
"The startup relied on guerrilla marketing campaigns, such as chalk art and flash mobs, to build brand awareness on a tiny budget."
• noun
A member of a small, independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces using mobility, surprise, and local terrain.
"During the nineteenth-century conflict, local guerrillas disrupted supply lines across the mountain passes."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'guerrilla' (an irregular combatant or unconventional tactic) with its homophone 'gorilla' (the large African ape); 'guerrilla' is also frequently spelled 'guerilla' with a single 'r'.
• Rhymes for guerrilla
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish 'guerrilla', meaning 'little war' (the diminutive of 'guerra', meaning 'war', which is itself of Germanic origin). The term entered English during the Peninsular War (1808–1814) to describe Spanish and Portuguese irregulars resisting Napoleon's forces.