conquistar

to conquer

verb kohn-kees-TAHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin conquirere (to seek out, acquire).

Also means

to win over

Usage Note

Conquistar has both a military sense (conquistar un territorio) and a romantic one (conquistar el corazón de alguien = to win someone's heart). The noun la conquista and the agent noun el conquistador refer historically to the Spanish conquest of the Americas. In everyday speech conquistar is often used hyperbolically: conquistó al público (he won over the audience).

Examples

"Los españoles conquistaron México en el siglo XVI."

Natural Translation

The Spanish conquered Mexico in the 16th century.

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