chivo expiatorio

[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo]

/[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo]/ phrase

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“chivo expiatorio” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Animal sacrificado en ofrenda a Dios por los judíos.

Key facts for chivo expiatorio
PropertyValue
Headwordchivo expiatorio
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo]
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chivo expiatorio” sits in Spanish frequency

chivo expiatorio falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chivo expiatorio is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

chivo expiatorio doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable Spanish patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is chivo expiatorio, spelled C-H-I-V-O- -E-X-P-I-A-T-O-R-I-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Animal sacrificado en ofrenda a Dios por los judíos.
  2. 2
    Persona a quien se achacan todas las culpas para eximir a otras.

Synonyms

cabeza de turcopaganoperejil

This word in other languages

scapegoat(English)bouc émissaire(Français)Sündenbock(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "chivo expiatorio"?
"chivo expiatorio" is spelled C-H-I-V-O- -E-X-P-I-A-T-O-R-I-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo].
What does "chivo expiatorio" mean?
As a phrase, "chivo expiatorio" means: Animal sacrificado en ofrenda a Dios por los judíos.
How do you pronounce "chivo expiatorio"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chivo expiatorio" is [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chivo expiatorio" come from?
"chivo expiatorio" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “chivo expiatorio”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-H-I-V-O- -E-X-P-I-A-T-O-R-I-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈt͡ʃiβ̞o ekspjaˈt̪oɾjo] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list