Skip to content

contrabandista

smuggler

noun kohn-trah-bahn-DEES-tah Rare

Usage Note

Contrabandista is a common-gender noun — el/la contrabandista — referring to anyone who deals in contraband or smuggled goods. It is derived from contrabando (contraband/smuggling). In historical contexts it often refers to tobacco or alcohol smugglers; in modern usage it covers drug traffickers as well, though narcotraficante is more specific for drugs.

Examples

"La policía detuvo a varios contrabandistas en la frontera."

Natural Translation

The police arrested several smugglers at the border.

Explore Spanish by topic