Definition
The female form of generalissimo; a woman holding the highest military rank or supreme command in an army.
Etymology
From Italian generalissima, the feminine form of generalissimo, from Spanish generalísimo, superlative of general. The -issimo/-issima endings are Italian superlative suffixes meaning 'most' or 'supreme.'
Kelly Says
This word almost never appears in English historical texts because so few women were ever given supreme military command—it's a vocabulary gap that reveals how exclusively male military leadership has been! The few women who earned this title, like in Spanish or Italian militaries, represent truly extraordinary circumstances.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
Commanders in Chief
Commanders in Chief
ARالعربية
الجنراليسما
al-jun-ir-al-is-mah
BNবাংলা
সর্বোচ্চ কমান্ডার
sarvoch komandar
CACatalà
generalíssima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
CSČeština
generálka
gen-er-ál-ka
DADansk
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
DEDeutsch
Generalissima
general-ee-see-mah
ELΕλληνικά
γενεραλίσσα
yene-ra-lis-sa
ESEspañol
generalísima
hen-er-al-ee-see-mah
FAفارسی
فرمانده کل
far-man-deh-ye kal
FISuomi
generaalipresidentti
gen-er-aal-i-pre-si-den-ti
FRFrançais
générale
ʒen-ɛʁ-al
GUGU
સર્વોચ્ચ કમાન્ડર
sarvochch kamaandar
HAHA
Shugaban Sojo
shu-ga-ban so-jo
HIहिन्दी
सर्वोच्च सेनापति
sarvoch se-na-pati
HUMagyar
főparancsnok
fõ-pa-rancs-nok
IDBahasa Indonesia
Panglima Besar
pang-lima bes-ar
ITItaliano
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
KKKK
Бас кеңес
bas ken-es
KMKM
ប្រមុខទ័ព
bramuk toev
KO한국어
최고사령관
choego saryeonggwan
MRMR
सर्वोच्च सेनापती
sarvoch sena-pati
MSBahasa Melayu
Panglima Besar
pang-lima bes-ar
MYမြန်မာ
အာဏာပိုင်
a-na-pa-in
NLNederlands
generaal-in-hoof
zhen-er-al-in-hoof
NONorsk
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
PAPA
ਸਰਬਉੱਚ ਕਮਾਂਡਰ
sar-bauch kamaandar
PLPolski
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
PTPortuguês
generalíssima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
RORomână
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
RUРусский
генералиссима
gen-er-al-ee-see-mah
SVSvenska
generalissima
zhen-er-al-ee-see-mah
SWKiswahili
Mkuu wa Jeshi
m-kuu wa je-shi
TAதமிழ்
மேல்கட்டளையாளர்
may-al-kat-ta-lay-a-lar
TEతెలుగు
సర్వోత్తమ సైన్య నాయకుడు
sarvothama sain-ya nayakudu
THไทย
ผู้บัญชาการสูงสุด
phoo-ban-cha-kan-song-sut
TLTL
Pangkalahatan
pang-kala-hatan
TRTürkçe
generalissima
jen-er-al-ee-see-mah
UKУкраїнська
генераліссима
gen-er-al-ee-see-mah
VITiếng Việt
Tổng Thống
tong thong
YOYO
Olori Agba
o-lori ag-ba
ZH中文
最高元帅
zuìgāo yuán shuài
ZUZU
Umkhonto we Sizwe
um-khon-to we si-zwe
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Italian feminine form of 'generalissimo' (supreme military commander). While marked feminine grammatically, military authority has historically been male-dominated; rare actual use reflects women's exclusion from command.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'generalissimo' or 'supreme commander' for all genders; language should not encode rank assumptions by gender.
Inclusive Alternatives
["supreme commander","commander-in-chief","generalissimo"]
Empowerment Note
Women military leaders (e.g., Artemisia I of Caria, Joan of Arc) were exceptional because systems excluded them. Modern usage should default to gender-neutral rank titles.