cabecilla
ringleader
noun kah-beh-SEE-yah Rare
Origin: Diminutive of cabeza (head).
Also means
gang leader
Usage Note
Cabecilla refers to the leader of a criminal gang, rebel group, or unruly mob — it almost always carries a negative or pejorative connotation. Despite ending in -a, it is grammatically masculine when referring to a male (el cabecilla) and feminine for a female (la cabecilla), making it a common-gender noun. It is rarely used in neutral or positive contexts.
Examples
"La policía detuvo al cabecilla de la banda."
Natural Translation
The police arrested the ringleader of the gang.
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic
SpanishNow
6 min read