las

Las is a term with several distinct uses in language, geography, and acronyms. In Spanish, las is the feminine plural definite article used before feminine plural nouns, as in las casas (the houses) or las personas (the people). It is the counterpart of los, the masculine plural article. Unlike other words, las does not change for person or tense; it is a grammatical article that marks gender and number. It appears in ordinary prose, poetry, and headlines, and is capitalized only when it begins a sentence or is part of a title.

Beyond language, Las can function as a proper name. It is used as a surname in some cultures and can appear in the names of places and institutions. There are geographic locations named Las in various countries, typically small towns or villages, though they are not widely known internationally.

In uppercase form, LAS is an acronym used in different domains. In academia, LAS commonly stands for Latin American Studies. In government or corporate contexts, it can refer to other organizations or programs, with the exact meaning defined by the field and country. When encountered, LAS should be interpreted from surrounding text or defined on first use.