pacto
Lemma Details
Translation: pact; agreement; covenant; deal; treaty
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'pactum', meaning 'agreement' or 'covenant', which derives from the verb 'pacisci' (to agree, to stipulate). This shares the same root as English words like 'pact', 'peace', and 'pacify', all stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root *pag- meaning 'to fasten'. The connection between fastening things together and making agreements reflects how pacts bind parties to certain terms.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El pacto entre los partidos políticos permitió formar gobierno.
The agreement between the political parties allowed them to form a government.
Hicimos un pacto para no hablar del tema nunca más.
We made a pact to never talk about the subject again.
Firmaron un pacto de no agresión entre los dos países.
They signed a non-aggression pact between the two countries.
Mnemonics
- Sounds like 'pact' in English - they mean the same thing
- Think of 'impact' - when two things come together forcefully, like parties coming together in an agreement
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish politics, 'pactos' are frequently discussed when forming coalition governments. The term also has historical significance in Spain's transition to democracy with the 'Pactos de la Moncloa' (1977), economic and political agreements that helped stabilize the country after Franco's dictatorship.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Pacta' is the third-person singular present form of the verb 'pactar' (to make a pact), while 'pacto' is the noun form meaning 'pact' or 'agreement'.
Confused word:
Él pacta con sus competidores para fijar los precios.
He makes agreements with his competitors to fix prices.
Notes: The verb 'pactar' and the noun 'pacto' are closely related in meaning, just different parts of speech.
Mnemonic: 'Pacto' ends in 'o' like many Spanish nouns, while 'pacta' ends in 'a' like many third-person verb forms.
Explanation: 'Facto' is used in phrases like 'de facto' (in fact, in reality) and is not a standalone Spanish word, while 'pacto' is a complete noun meaning 'agreement'.
This word:
El pacto secreto cambió el curso de la historia.
The secret pact changed the course of history.
Confused word:
Es el líder de facto aunque no tiene un título oficial.
He is the de facto leader although he doesn't have an official title.
Notes: 'De facto' is a Latin phrase adopted into Spanish and English with the same meaning.
Mnemonic: 'Pacto' has a 'p' for 'promise' or 'pact', while 'facto' relates to 'facts' or actual situations.