instituto

institute, institution

noun een-stee-TOO-toh Less Common

Origin: From Latin institutum (something established).

Also means

secondary school (Spain)

Usage Note

Instituto in Spain specifically refers to a state secondary school (instituto de educación secundaria, IES), the equivalent of a high school. In Latin America and more broadly it denotes any specialist institute or research body. The verb instituir means 'to establish/institute.'

Examples

"Estudié en un instituto público."

Natural Translation

I studied at a public secondary school.

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