Guerrilla Meaning
/ɡəˈɹɪlə/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA soldier in a small independent group, fighting against the government or regular forces by surprise raids.
nounA non-official war carried out by small independent groups; a guerrilla war.
Sentence Examples
In reports in America, guerrilla resistance by the Iraq military is called terrorism.
In reports in the United States, guerrilla resistance by the Iraq military is called terrorism.
It's not "gorilla rain", but "guerrilla rain"; do you understand?
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ fighters attacked from the jungle and then disappeared.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ fighters used their superior knowledge of the local terrain to launch surprise attacks on the enemy.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla, diminutive of guerra (“war”), coined during the Peninsular War.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"From the start of its operations in Colombia, the company was on guard against the decadeslong civil strife in the country between left-wing guerrilla and right-wing paramilitary groups, witnesses have testified."
— 2007 July 13, Kyle Whitmire, “Suit in U.S. Over Murders in Colombia”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2021:
"After a harsh police crackdown last week fueled anger and swelled protests, President Dilma Rousseff, a former guerrilla who was imprisoned under the dictatorship and has now become the target of pointed criticism herself, tried to appease dissenters by embracing their cause on Tuesday."
— 2013 June 18, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2020, retrieved 21 Jun 2013:
"Wherever Nicholson was most wanted, there he was sure to be found. What his life was at this time may be seen from a letter he wrote to his mother: 'I am leading a very guerrilla sort of life with seven hundred horse and foot raised among the people of the country. The chieftain who is in rebellion has eight regular regiments and sixteen guns, so that I am unable to meet them openly in the field.'"
— 1908, George Devereux Oswell, chapter VII, in Sketches of Rulers of India, volume I, page 127:
"The Slovak uprising in the latter days was not guerrilla in character, which, incidentally, may have been one of the reasons for its failure."
— 1976, Walter Laqueur, Guerrilla Warfare, page 205:
"We took a very guerrilla approach to marketing Goin' Hollywood, in keeping with the irreverent tone of the game."
— 1989, Michael Wiese, Film & video marketing, page 445:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ fighters attacked from the jungle and then disappeared.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ fighters used their superior knowledge of the local terrain to launch surprise attacks on the enemy.