Vercingetorix (Latin: [wɛrkɪŋˈɡɛtɔriːks]; Gaulish: Uercingetorixs; Ancient Greek: Οὐερκιγγετόριξ [u.erkiŋɡeˈtoriks]; c. 82 – 46 BC) was a Gallic nobleman and chieftain of the Arverni who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Rome during the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC).

Vercingetorix was born c. 82 BC in Gergovia to Celtillus, an Arvenian aristocrat who was murdered around 70–60 BC by members of his own people for attempting to establish kingship among the Arverni. In early 52 BC, Vercingetorix was exiled by pro-Roman factions for seeking to incite a revolt against Rome, but he returned with supporters, expelled his opponents, and was proclaimed king before calling for a broader Gallic revolt against Caesar's conquest of Gaul.

Vercingetorix was elected to command a major coalition of tribes from most of Gaul to fight the invading army. He organised a coordinated resistance aimed at exhausting the Roman forces through scorched-earth tactics and harassment campaigns. After early successes, including a Roman defeat at Gergovia that nearly brought Caesar to overall defeat and withdrawal from Gaul, he was eventually forced to surrender at the Battle of Alesia (September 52 BC). Taken prisoner, Vercingetorix was imprisoned in Rome for six years before being executed after Caesar's triumph in 46 BC.

Although largely forgotten during the Middle Ages, Vercingetorix was rediscovered in the 16th century through renewed interest in Caesar's writings. From the 19th century onward, he became a prominent symbol of French national identity and, more broadly, of resistance to foreign domination. Since then, he has remained a recurring figure in arts and popular culture, where he is variously portrayed as a heroic defender of freedom and independence, or as a tragic loser who retains moral superiority over the victor.

The name Vercingetorix means 'supreme king of warriors' or 'great leader of heroes' in the Gaulish language. It is a compound formed from the prefix uer- ('over-, super-'), attached to -cingeto- ('warrior, hero') and the suffix -rix ('king'). According to Pierre-Yves Lambert, the form Vercingetorixs, attested on coinage, is the closest to the original Gaulish, by accurately reflecting the phonetic group /xs/ at word-end. Celticist Maigréad Ní C. Dobbs has proposed a possible Irish cognate (linguistic sibling from the same origin) in the name Ferchinged an rí.

The Roman historian Florus remarked that Vercingetorix was "endowed with a name which seemed to be intended to inspire terror". Indeed, the name is best understood as a title or nom de guerre (semantically comparable to 'generalissimo') rather than a personal birth name. His original name is unknown, and only his function has been preserved in the sources. Until the mid-19th century, Vercingetorix was commonly understood as a common noun, and expressions such as "the vercingetorix ('commander-in-chief') of the confederation" were widely used.

Modern scholarship emphasises the limited and problematic nature of the evidence for Vercingetorix's life. Aside from the events of 52 BC, most of what is known ultimately derives from Julius Caesar's own account, which is a problematic source since he uses Vercingetorix to personify Celtic resistance against the invader, and describes him through a Roman lens.

Later accounts by Plutarch (early 2nd c. AD), Florus (2nd c. AD), and Cassius Dio (early 3rd c. AD) partly depend on Caesar's narrative. They were supplemented with additional details not found in his work, and may also draw on contemporary eyewitness traditions, especially for Vercingetorix's surrender and death.