pautar

Pautar is a verb used in Iberian languages, notably Portuguese and Spanish, that means to set, establish, or base something on guidelines, standards, or an agenda. In Portuguese, especially Brazilian Portuguese, pautar is commonly used to describe placing topics on an agenda or establishing guiding principles for action, such as policies, rules, or procedures. In Spanish, pautar similarly denotes fixing guidelines or terms of reference and is frequently found in formal or administrative contexts.

The noun pauta, from which pautar derives, means agenda, guideline, or standard. This relationship is reflected in the verb’s sense of anchoring action to a framework or plan. Pautar is often employed in political, organizational, and legal contexts, for example when authorities decide which issues will be discussed or when they define the criteria that will guide a decision.

Usage and forms: pautar is conjugated regularly in both languages (pauto, pautas, pauta, pautamos, pautan, etc.). The reflexive form pautar-se conveys aligning oneself with established guidelines or conforming to a standard. In addition to the formal sense, pautar can appear in journalistic or academic writing to describe the act of setting a policy or agenda.

See also: pauta, guideline, policy, agenda, standard, norm.