Spanish word

amparo

Pronunciation

IPA/amˈpaɾo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounprotection

Example

Busco amparo en la embajada.

I am seeking protection at the embassy.

Illustration for amparo (protection)

More examples

Después de la discusión, se puso bajo el amparo de su madre.

After the argument, he put himself under his mother's protection.

Core concept

A person sheltered under a large shield marked with a legal scale.

Common phrases

  • buscar amparo en alguien

    seek protection from someone

  • ponerse bajo el amparo de

    put oneself under the protection of

  • amparo legal

    legal protection

Similar words

protección: General safeguarding of someone or something from harm, risk, or damage.
ayuda: Practical help given to someone in need to solve a problem or difficulty.
apoyo: Emotional or physical support that helps a person cope or keep going.

Definition in Spanish

Protección o auxilio, especialmente protección legal que defiende a una persona o sus derechos frente a un peligro, daño o acto injusto.

Word origin

The noun comes from the verb amparar 'to protect', ultimately from Vulgar Latin *amparare, with the nominalizing suffix -o giving amparo the sense of legal protection or relief.

Usage tips

  • In many Spanish-speaking jurisdictions recurso de amparo denotes a constitutional remedy to defend rights, so in casual speech protección or ayuda are more common.

Other meanings

  • remedynoun
  • refugenoun

Opposites

  • desamparolack of protectionnoun

Related words

  • ampararprotectverb
  • amparadoprotectedadjective

Word lists with this word