encargo

Encargo is a Spanish noun that refers to an act or result of entrusting someone with something, and it also denotes a task, duty, or assignment given to a person. The term can describe a responsibility that someone has accepted, a specific task to be carried out, or a request to obtain goods or perform a service on behalf of another. In everyday language, phrases such as hacer un encargo (to place an order or give someone a task) and cumplir un encargo (to fulfill a task or order) are common.

In commercial contexts, encargo typically means an order or purchase placed with a supplier or service provider. A client may give an encargo to a shop or contractor, asking them to procure items, deliver them, or perform a service. The wording can cover both the procurement of merchandise and the execution of a service on request, for example, “Hice un encargo de compras” or “El encargo fue para un regalo personalizado.”

Etymologically, encargo comes from encargar, formed with en- plus cargar, conveying the idea of putting something under someone’s charge or responsibility. Related expressions include encargarse de, meaning to take charge of or assume responsibility for something, and encargado, the person in charge or the designated agent.

Notes: encargo is distinct from encomienda, a historical system of entrusted duties, though both share the root concept of entrusting tasks to someone.