Meanings
plural generalissimos · plural generalissimi
- governmentA supreme commander of the armed forces of a country, especially one who is also a political leader.
1 more example
Where stands Marshal Chiang Kai-shek in this conflict of opinion concerning the tactics which China should adopt towards the aggressor? Chiang Kai-shek, according to officials who know his mind with whom I have talked, is all for resistance—as soon as he thinks he can win! “It is a fatal mistake for the Japanese to imagine that I will not fight under any circumstances,” he has said. But the Chinese Generalissimo is too well versed in the philosophy of his country not to recollect that it is foolish to fight with the certainty of defeat.
1936, H. Hessell Tiltman, The Far East Comes Nearer, Jarrolds, page 249
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe officer who holds the supreme command
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Italiangeneralissimo
- Englishgeneralissimo
Borrowed from Italian generalissimo, superlative of generale.
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian генерали́симус
- генерали́симус (generalísimus)supreme commander
Chinese Mandarin 大元帥 /大元帅, 大帥 /大帅
- 大元帥 /大元帅 (dàyuánshuài)supreme commander
- 大帥 /大帅 (dàshuài)supreme commander
Czech generalissimus
- generalissimussupreme commander
Esperanto ĉefgeneralo
- ĉefgeneralosupreme commander
Finnish generalissimo, generalissimus
- generalissimosupreme commander
- generalissimussupreme commander
French généralissime
- généralissimesupreme commander
German Generalissimus
- Generalissimussupreme commander
Greek αρχιστράτηγος
- αρχιστράτηγος (archistrátigos)supreme commander
Hungarian generalisszimusz
- generalisszimuszsupreme commander
Indonesian jenderal besar
- jenderal besarsupreme commander
Irish ardghinearál
- ardghinearálsupreme commander
Italian generalissimo
- generalissimosupreme commander
Japanese 総統, 大元帥
- 総統 (sōtō)supreme commander
- 大元帥 (daigensui)supreme commander
Korean 총통, 대원수
- 총통 (chongtong)supreme commander
- 대원수 (daewonsu)supreme commander
Polish generalissimus
- generalissimussupreme commander
Portuguese generalíssimo
- generalíssimosupreme commander
Romanian generalisim
- generalisimsupreme commander
Russian генерали́ссимус
- генерали́ссимус (generalíssimus)supreme commander
Spanish generalísimo
- generalísimosupreme commander
Turkish başkomutan
- başkomutansupreme commander
Cite this entry
generalissimo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generalissimo
“generalissimo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generalissimo. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “generalissimo,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generalissimo.
Source: generalissimo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.