filibuster

Meaning

Noun

1. (historical) A mercenary soldier; a freebooter; specifically, a mercenary who travelled illegally in an organized group from the United States to a country in Central America or the Spanish West Indies in the mid-19th century seeking economic and political benefits through armed force.
2. (US) A tactic (such as giving long, often irrelevant speeches) employed to delay the proceedings of, or the making of a decision by, a legislative body, particularly the United States Senate.
3. (US) A member of a legislative body causing such an obstruction.

Verb

1. To take part in a private military action in a foreign country.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To use obstructionist tactics in a legislative body.

Opposite of

cloture

Synonyms

pirate

filibusterer

buccaneer

freebooter

stonewall

obstruction

obstructionism

obstructionist

obstruction of proceedings

picaroon

plunderer

retard

rover

set back

skid

stem

backpedal

delaying tactic

obstructor

stonewaller

brake

black hat hacker

corsair

cramp

hindrance

interference

Translations

flibustier

filibustero

filibustiere

obstruction

korsan

Freibeuter

πειρατής

bucanero

haydut

vrijbuiter

flibusteiro

Verschleppungstaktiker

obstrucció

Störung der Sitzung

Seeräuber

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɪlɪbʌstə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Cognate with English: freebooter

In summary

Borrowed from Spanish filibustero (“pirate”), from French flibustier, ultimately from Dutch vrijbuiter (“freebooter”), from vrij (“free”) + buit (“booty”) + -er (“agent”). The alteration in the first syllable in French is due to the word's being somewhat conflated with vlieboot (“light, flat-bottomed cargo vessel with two or three masts”) when it was borrowed into French or another language from Dutch. The word is cognate and analogous to English freebooter.

Sentences

Estrada's was the first filibuster of any court of appeals nominee .