criollo
noun
cri·o·llo
krē-ˈōl-(ˌ)yō 
-ˈō-(ˌ)yō
plural criollos
1
a
: a person of pure Spanish descent born in Spanish America
b
: a person born and usually raised in a Spanish-American country
2
: a domestic animal of a breed or strain (as of cattle) developed in Latin America
especially, often capitalized
: any of a breed of hardy muscular ponies originally developed in Argentina
criollo
adjective
Examples of criollo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her ancestors had come to South America with Francisco Pizarro, and she was raised in luxury as part of the imperial colony’s criollo élite.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The film is a western that is also an anti-western, recounting the genocidal settlement of Tierra del Fuego by European and criollo ranching families who hired mercenaries to systematically kill Indigenous Selk’nam people to seize their land.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024
Counteracting all that fat is an aji criollo, a thick green sauce of garlic, peppers and herbs that thrums with lime juice and vinegar.
—Gabe Hiatt, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Head over the border to Pawtucket for La Arepa for Venezuelan cachapas, arepas, and pabellon criollo.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2022
This includes areas of Venezuela, where criollo beans thrive.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022
In Venezuela, a restaurant owner is reintroducing the traditional criollo cocoa bean, a lucrative export crop.
—Richard Schiffman, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2022
Many Venezuelans, including chef, entrepreneur and chocolatier María Fernanda Di Giacobbe, believe criollo can be the answer to the country’s economic crisis.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022
Her Cuban-American family bastes the turkey in a mojo criollo marinade.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, chicagotribune.com, 22 Nov. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The film is a western that is also an anti-western, recounting the genocidal settlement of Tierra del Fuego by European and criollo ranching families who hired mercenaries to systematically kill Indigenous Selk’nam people to seize their land.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024
Counteracting all that fat is an aji criollo, a thick green sauce of garlic, peppers and herbs that thrums with lime juice and vinegar.
—Gabe Hiatt, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Head over the border to Pawtucket for La Arepa for Venezuelan cachapas, arepas, and pabellon criollo.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2022
This includes areas of Venezuela, where criollo beans thrive.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022
In Venezuela, a restaurant owner is reintroducing the traditional criollo cocoa bean, a lucrative export crop.
—Richard Schiffman, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2022
Many Venezuelans, including chef, entrepreneur and chocolatier María Fernanda Di Giacobbe, believe criollo can be the answer to the country’s economic crisis.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022
Her Cuban-American family bastes the turkey in a mojo criollo marinade.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, chicagotribune.com, 22 Nov. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near criollo
Cite this Entry
“Criollo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criollo. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share