presidiare

to garrison

verb preh-zee-DYAH-reh Rare

Origin: From presidio (garrison, stronghold), from Latin praesidium (defense, guard).

Also means

to guard

Usage Note

Presidiare is a regular -are verb conjugated with avere. It means to station military or security forces to protect a location (presidiare un confine, presidiare un palazzo). It is also used figuratively in political speech, meaning to hold or defend a position or territory symbolically.

Examples

"I soldati presidiano il confine settentrionale."

Natural Translation

The soldiers garrison the northern border.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Noun Gender: Rules, Endings & Exceptions

Italian noun gender decoded: -o is usually masculine, -a feminine, but -zione and -tà are feminine, -ore and -ma masculine. Plus the trap words to memorize.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Buongiorno, Ciao or Salve? Italian Greetings Made Easy

When in doubt, say salve and mirror the reply. Here's how to pick between buongiorno, buonasera, ciao and salve so your Italian greetings never sound rude.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read