mandato

mandate, term of office

noun mahn-DAH-toh Less Common

Origin: From Latin mandatum (entrusted order).

Also means

order, command

Usage Note

Mandato in political contexts refers to an elected official's term or mandate (bajo el mandato del presidente). In legal and religious use it means a formal command or injunction. The verb mandar ('to order, to send') is its everyday counterpart but mandato stays in formal written registers. Don't confuse with mando ('command, control'), which is more concrete.

Examples

"El mandato presidencial dura cuatro años."

Natural Translation

The presidential term lasts four years.

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