artículo

Artículo is a Spanish noun with several related meanings. In journalism and general writing, an article is a piece of writing published in a newspaper, magazine, or online outlet, covering topics from news to analysis, commentary, or features. In grammar, artículo refers to a determiner that precedes a noun to indicate definiteness and, in many languages, gender and number. Spanish uses definite articles (el, la, los, las) and indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas). The term also appears in legal and bureaucratic language to name a numbered provision of a law, treaty, or constitution.

Etymology: artículo derives from Latin articulus, meaning a small joint or part, via medieval Latin into Spanish. The sense of a part or section of a text or document underlies its modern uses.

Uses and types: as a grammatical element, artículos determine noun reference and agreement. As journalism, articles vary in length and style: news articles report facts; feature articles present background and analysis; opinion pieces offer viewpoints. In law and governance, an artículo designates a specific provision, often cited by number, such as Art. 1 or Art. 12.

Other uses: artículo can denote an item in a list or catalog (artículo de tienda) or a component in a product, device, or treaty. More broadly, it can refer to any written piece published in a periodical.

In translation, artículo commonly corresponds to the English word article, with nuances depending on context: grammatical determiner, journalistically published writing, or a legal provision.