guerrilla

== English == === Alternative forms === guerilla (obsolete) === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla, diminutive of guerra (“war”), coined during the Peninsular War. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ɡəˈɹɪlə/ (US) IPA(key): /ɡəˈɹɪlə/, /ɡəˈɹiə/, /ˌɡeɪˈɹiə/ Homophone: gorilla Hyphenation: guer‧ril‧la === Noun === guerrilla (plural guerrillas) A soldier in a small independent group, fighting against the government or regular forces by surprise raids. Synonym: guerrillero Hyponym: guerrillera (now rare) A non-official war carried out by small independent groups; a guerrilla war. A marketer who uses guerrilla marketing techniques. A maker of guerrilla television. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === guerrilla (comparative more guerrilla, superlative most guerrilla) (military) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla warfare, or its principles of small independent or non-official perpetrators. 1963, Samuel B. Griffith (translator), Mao Zedong, The Red Book of Guerrilla Warfare, edited by Shawn Conners, →ISBN, published 2010, page 14, original 1937 On the other hand, after the fall of Feng Ling Tu, the operations of Central Shansi, and Suiyuan, troops were more guerrilla than orthodox in nature. (marketing) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla marketing. Using unconventional, non-traditional, non-mainstream and often subversive practices to achieve something. ==== Derived terms ==== === Related terms === === See also === == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ɡəˈri.ʎə] IPA(key): (Valencia) [ɡeˈri.ʎa] Hyphenation: gue‧ri‧lla === Noun === guerrilla f (plural guerrilles) guerrilla (small official or unofficial military troop) guerrilla war ==== Derived terms ==== guerriller ==== Related terms ==== guerra guerrer === Further reading === “guerrilla”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “guerrilla”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “guerrilla” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. “guerrilla” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962. == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɡəˈril.jaː/, /ˌɡeːˈril.jaː/ Hyphenation: guer‧ril‧la === Noun === guerrilla f (plural guerrilla's, no diminutive) a guerrilla war; guerrilla warfare [from 1810s] Synonym: guerrillaoorlog a guerrilla fighter Synonyms: guerrillastrijder, guerrillero ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Indonesian: gerilya == Galician == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish guerrilla. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -iɟa === Noun === guerrilla f (plural guerrillas) guerrilla (small official or unofficial military troop) guerrilla war ==== Related terms ==== === References === “guerrilla”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === From guerra (“war”) +‎ -illa (diminutive suffix). === Pronunciation === Syllabification: gue‧rri‧lla === Noun === guerrilla f (plural guerrillas) guerrilla (small official or unofficial military troop) guerrilla war ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Catalan: guerrilla → English: guerrilla, guerilla → French: guérilla → Turkish: gerilla → Galician: guerrilla → Italian: guerriglia → Piedmontese: guerija → Portuguese: guerrilha === Further reading === “guerrilla”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025