noun
- Plural of alcade; a Spanish or Portuguese mayor or chief magistrate of a town or fortress.
Usage: historical; chiefly Spanish and Portuguese contexts
Examples
- The alcades of the frontier towns held considerable power during the colonial period.
- Historical records show that alcades were responsible for maintaining order and collecting taxes.
- Several alcades gathered to discuss trade agreements between their settlements.
- The alcades answered to the viceroy in matters of regional governance.