Recinto

Recinto is a Spanish noun meaning an enclosed space or area, often translated as enclosure or precinct. The word derives from Latin recinctus, meaning surrounded or enclosed. In everyday use, recintos are places defined by physical boundaries such as walls, fences, or borders.

In architecture and urban planning, recinto refers to the space surrounding a building or group of buildings, including courtyards, inner enclosures, or a fortified perimeter. It can also denote the precinct around a sacred, ceremonial, or administrative site, emphasizing the concept of a bounded, organized area.

In administration and governance, the term is used to describe defined geographic zones that group people for organizational purposes, such as police precincts or electoral precincts (recinto electoral) used in organizing voting, public safety, or services within a city or region.

In education, the term is common in Latin America and the Caribbean to name university campuses. For example, the University of Puerto Rico uses recintos to describe its campuses (Recinto de Río Piedras, Recinto de Mayagüez), treating the recinto as a campus entity rather than a single building.

In zoology and agriculture, recinto is used to refer to animal enclosures or pens, such as a corral or pen where animals are kept within defined boundaries.

The term is widely used across Spanish-speaking regions, with nuances depending on local custom. See also precinct, enclosure.