guerrilla

Etymology

From Spanish guerrilla, diminutive of guerra (“war”), coined during the Peninsular War.

noun

1. A soldier in a small independent group, fighting against the government or regular forces by surprise raids.
   The right-wing paramilitary's offensive against the Marxist guerrillas failed because they did not know the terrain well enough.
2. (now rare) A non-official war carried out by small independent groups; a guerrilla war.

adj

1. (military) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla warfare, or its principles of small independent or non-official perpetrators.
   Wherever Nicholson was most wanted, there he was sure to be found. What his life was at this time may be seen from a letter he wrote to his mother: 'I am leading a very guerrilla sort of life with seven hundred horse and foot raised among the people of the country. The chieftain who is in rebellion has eight regular regiments and sixteen guns, so that I am unable to meet them openly in the field.' 1908, George Devereux Oswell, chapter VII, in Sketches of Rulers of India, volume I, page 127
   On the other hand, after the fall of Feng Ling Tu, the operations of Central Shansi, and Suiyuan, troops were more guerrilla than orthodox in nature. 1963, Samuel B. Griffith (translator), Mao Zedong, The Red Book of Guerrilla Warfare, edited by Shawn Conners, published 2010, page 14, original 1937
   The Slovak uprising in the latter days was not guerrilla in character, which, incidentally, may have been one of the reasons for its failure. 1976, Walter Laqueur, Guerrilla Warfare, page 205
2. (marketing) Relating to, using, or typical of guerrilla marketing.
   We took a very guerrilla approach to marketing Goin' Hollywood, in keeping with the irreverent tone of the game. 1989, Michael Wiese, Film & video marketing, page 445
   "Mozilla's marketing has been very guerrilla. You're not seeing it spend millions of dollars on TV. Instead, it's a powerful ground swell. February 28, 2005, “Firefox Continues To Chip Away At IE's Share”, in InformationWeek
   My style is more guerrilla. I grew up in a village, a very suppressed environment. I was like one of those young kids who hated the whole conventional way of doing things. So when I started to make films it was very hand-made, very fast. February 26, 2010, “A serious woman”, in The Times
3. Using unconventional, non-traditional, non-mainstream and often subversive practices to achieve something.
   guerrilla marketing
   guerrilla tourism
   guerrilla gardening
   Jackass’s guerrilla, nonnarrative format 2022, Marisol Cortez, “Ambivalent Anality: Revisiting the Queer Ecology of "the Jackass Moment"”, in Media+Environment