Generalissimo

A generalissimo is a commissioned officer of the highest rank; the word is often translated as "Supreme Commander" or "Commander in Chief". It is an Italian superlative substantive, which grammatically would actually be disallowed in Italian (superlatives can be made with adjectives only). When used as a noun, the correct sense is "General of the highest degree" (or commander in chief of the entire armed forces of a specific country); as an adjective, the closest English form is "most general," but the concept is best expressed by the grammatically incorrect expression "most generalest." The term "Generalissimo" in English has come to refer to a kind of ruler who has ascended to that position by a military coup. In most developed English-speaking countries, the term commonly evokes the image of corrupt dictatorships and so-called "banana republics."

See also

• Dictator
• Shogun
• Magister militum
• Military rule
• Führer
• Supreme Allied Commander
• The Generals
• Generalissimo El Busho -- A nickname for George W. Bush coined by U.S. editorial cartoonist Ted Rall
• General Juncal-- A fictional generalisimo and a tyrant.