USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -alcalde, (from Arabic al-qāḍī, “judge”), the administrative and judicial head of a town or village in Spain or in areas under Spanish control or influence. The title was applied to local government officials whose functions were various but always included a judicial element.

Detailed explanation-2: -An alcalde mayor was a regional magistrate in Spain and its territories from, at least, the 14th century to the 19th century. These regional officials had judicial, administrative, military and legislative authority. Their judicial and administrative functions superseded those of an alcalde.

Detailed explanation-3: -They were the representatives of the royal jurisdiction over a town and its district. He was the highest authority of a corregimiento. In the Spanish Americas and the Spanish Philippines, a corregidor was often called an alcalde mayor.

Detailed explanation-4: -How to use alcalde in a sentence. I looked round to see where our help was most wanted, and was about to lead them forward, when I heard the voice of the Alcalde. The Alcalde was kneeling by his side, gazing sadly and earnestly into the face of the dying man.

Detailed explanation-5: -Modern usage. In modern Spanish, the term alcalde is equivalent to a mayor, and is used to mean the local executive officer in municipalities throughout Spain and Latin America.