mandatario

head of state

noun mahn-dah-TAH-ryoh Less Common

Origin: From Latin mandatarius (one entrusted with a mandate)

Also means

leader

Usage Note

Mandatario in Latin American political Spanish usually means a head of state or government — primer mandatario is a formal way to say 'president.' In legal Spanish it is the agent in a mandato (mandate contract), contrasting with the mandante (the principal who grants the mandate).

Examples

"El mandatario firmó el decreto ayer."

Natural Translation

The head of state signed the decree yesterday.

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