Il Duce
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɪl ˈduːtʃeɪ/
:
Il Duce
- As Il Duce led the country, he implemented strict laws to suppress political dissent.
Examples
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Il Duce ruled Italy with an iron fist from 1925 until his downfall in 1945.
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Spaccarelli urged Mussolini to let him do the same for the Borgo: open the vista to bring the pope closer to Il Duce.
Academic text (2006) -
In 1939, Il Duce signed on with Hitler, and in 1940 Italy entered the war in Europe.
Fiction book (2002) -
I need... Il Duce.
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As Ceccarius explained it, "Il Duce wanted the Emperors close to him."
Academic text (2006) -
So Il Duce decreed that the cave homes would be razed and replaced with modern monolithic structures.
Fiction book (2002) -
Throughout Italy, as well as abroad, Il Duce sought to make a historical and archaeological connection between the ancient Romans and modern Italians, even seeing himself as a new Aeneas.
Academic text (2006) -
Many Italians initially believed that Il Duce would restore the glory of Italy.
Synonyms
53
7.0
An Italian fascist dictator who ruled Italy as prime minister from 1922 to 1943
6
9.9
A title used for Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy under fascism
An Italian fascist dictator who led Italy from 1922 to 1943
Surface Forms
Morphology
Il + duce
The phrase is an Italian borrowing literally meaning 'the leader' (il = the, duce = the title used for Mussolini), so a learner who knows the constituents could grasp the basic literal sense. However, its specific association with Mussolini and its use as a negative epithet implying dictatorial behavior is culturally and historically specific and not fully derivable from the words alone, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Il Duce was the title used by Benito Mussolini. The word is made of Il meaning 'the' and Duce meaning 'leader', so it literally says 'the leader' and became his official title as a dictator.