Is there a technical difference between the terms torero, toreador and matador?

Torero can be used to describe any of the human participants in a bullfight. Toreador is either an archaic term, or one made up by Bizet for the opera "Carmen", depending on which site one consults.

The matador ("killer") is the main bullfighter, who performs the ritual ending of the fight, including the killing of the bull. There are grades of matador, depending on the age and size of the bulls they fight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighter

Thank you for glossary. In a dictionary of Foreign Terms in English I found that a torero always fights on foot, whereas a toreador might sit on horseback. Cannot find confirmation of this "imaginary" (?) distinction.

Torero is a generic term and can refer to anyone taking part in the bullfight. It should not be confused with "toreador" which does not exist in modern bullfighting, being popularised by Bizet in his opera "Carmen".

http://coloquio.com/toros/timfaq.html



[ users.erols.com/mcarrion/epfaques.htm no longer exists ]

As a personal note on the use of "toreador", in 19 years in Spain I never saw or heard it used by a Spaniard, on a poster or on TV (which shows a lot of bullfighting at certain times of year).