What does "ghibelline" mean?
In the politics of medieval Italian city states, any member of a faction that supported the Holy Roman Emperor in a long struggle against the Guelphs and the Pope.
Ghibelline
/ˈɡɪbəlin/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In the politics of medieval Italian city states, any member of a faction that supported the Holy Roman Emperor in a long struggle against the Guelphs and the Pope.
- Grammar: ghibelline is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: centralist advocate, emperor ally, factional, imperial.
- Useful contrasts: Guelph, bipartisan, decentralist.
- Usage evidence: These two factions came to be called Guelphs and Ghibellines respectively. The Guelphs were the supporters of the Popes, the Ghibellines of the Emperors. The Guelphs upheld the temporal supremacy of the Pope: the Ghibellines would separate temporal from spiritual authority. The Guelphs resisted the establishment of complete imperial government in the cities of northern Italy: the Ghibellines, with the glories of the old Roman Empire before their eyes, longed to see Italy welded together into a single nation, and governed and controlled by the strong hands of the emperor.
How to use "ghibelline"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ghibelline" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ghibelline" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ghibelline" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 In the politics of medieval Italian city states, any member of a faction that supported the Holy Roman Emperor in a long struggle against the Guelphs and the Pope. historical
"These two factions came to be called Guelphs and Ghibellines respectively. The Guelphs were the supporters of the Popes, the Ghibellines of the Emperors. The Guelphs upheld the temporal supremacy of the Pope: the Ghibellines would separate temporal from spiritual authority. The Guelphs resisted the establishment of complete imperial government in the cities of northern Italy: the Ghibellines, with the glories of the old Roman Empire before their eyes, longed to see Italy welded together into a single nation, and governed and controlled by the strong hands of the emperor."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"These two factions came to be called Guelphs and Ghibellines respectively. The Guelphs were the supporters of the Popes, the Ghibellines of the Emperors. The Guelphs upheld the temporal supremacy of the Pope: the Ghibellines would separate temporal from spiritual authority. The Guelphs resisted the establishment of complete imperial government in the cities of northern Italy: the Ghibellines, with the glories of the old Roman Empire before their eyes, longed to see Italy welded together into a single nation, and governed and controlled by the strong hands of the emperor."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ghibelline"?
Common synonyms include: centralist advocate, emperor ally, factional, imperial, imperial loyalist, imperial partisan.
How do you use "ghibelline" in a sentence?
These two factions came to be called Guelphs and Ghibellines respectively. The Guelphs were the supporters of the Popes, the Ghibellines of the Emperors. The Guelphs upheld the temporal supremacy of the Pope: the Ghibellines would separate temporal from spiritual authority. The Guelphs resisted the establishment of complete imperial government in the cities of northern Italy: the Ghibellines, with the glories of the old Roman Empire before their eyes, longed to see Italy welded together into a single nation, and governed and controlled by the strong hands of the emperor.
How do you pronounce "ghibelline"?
Pronounced /ˈɡɪbəlin/.
Etymology
From Italian ghibellino, from German Waiblingen, from Middle High German Wibellingen, the name of a castle in Swabia held by the Hohenstaufen dynasty (nowadays in the township of Waiblingen), from Old High German Weibilinga, Weibelingen, possibly a suffixed form of the personal name Wabilo, Wahilo. The emperor's supporters used the name as a rallying cry, which was probably introduced to Italy during the reign of Frederick Barbarossa, 1155—1190.