Meaning & use
Borgia
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A powerful Renaissance family of Spanish origin that rose to rule in Italy and produced two popes, known for ambition and scandal.
Grammar: Always capitalized; the family is the Borgias, and a single member is a Borgia.
Patterns
- the Borgias
- a Borgia pope
The Borgias dominated Italian politics at the end of the fifteenth century.
Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI in 1492.
Historians still argue about how wicked the Borgia family really was.
proper nounproperfigurative
Used as shorthand for cruelty, plotting and political corruption, as in Borgia-style intrigue.
Grammar: Usually used as a modifier or in comparisons: a Borgia plot.
Patterns
- a Borgia plot
- Borgia-like intrigue
The boardroom turned into a Borgia court of whispers and betrayals.
Reporters described the campaign as a Borgia affair.
Their family dinners were full of Borgia-style scheming.
Word forms
| plural | Borgias |
|---|
Common combinations
- Pope Alexander VI
- Pope Alexander VI, a Borgia, ruled from 1492 to 1503.
- Lucrezia Borgia
- Lucrezia Borgia is the subject of a famous opera.
- Cesare Borgia
- Cesare Borgia was a military leader admired by Machiavelli.
- Borgia intrigue
- The office was full of Borgia intrigue.
- Borgia family
- The Borgia family came from Valencia.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Machiavellian
- Machiavellian is an adjective for cunning political scheming in general, while Borgia names a specific family and its notorious reputation.
Word family
- Borgias proper noun
- the members of the Borgia family
Commonly confused: Borgia or Medici?
Borgia vs Medici
The Medici were a rival Florentine banking family, often confused with the Borgias, but they were famed as art patrons more than poisoners.
Practice
A journalist calls an office a 'Borgia court.' What does this suggest?
Choose one answer.
Borgia is shorthand for ruthless scheming and corruption. Patronage of the arts would suggest the Medici, and the other options conflict with the Borgia reputation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Borgia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.