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almirante

admiral

noun ahl-mee-RAHN-teh Rare
People & Society Military

Origin: From Arabic amīr al-baḥr ('commander of the sea'); one of many Spanish naval/military terms of Arabic origin.

Usage Note

Almirante is the highest naval rank in the Spanish-speaking world, equivalent to a four-star admiral. It belongs to the common-gender pattern: el almirante / la almirante (the feminine form is increasingly used as women reach senior naval ranks). The almir- prefix is the same Arabic amīr ('emir', 'commander') found in emir and, indirectly, almirante itself.

Examples

"El almirante ordenó la retirada de los buques."

Natural Translation

The admiral ordered the withdrawal of the ships.

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