instar (a)
verbCEFR B2
What does “instar (a)” mean in English?
to urge, to press someone
to urge, to press someone (instar a alguien a + inf — formal/written register; stronger than animar)
Example sentences
La dirección instó a todos los departamentos a presentar sus presupuestos antes del final de mes.
Management urged all departments to submit their budgets before the end of the month.
La organización instó a los gobiernos miembros a adoptar medidas concretas para reducir las emisiones.
The organisation called on member governments to adopt concrete measures to reduce emissions.
El comité instó a las partes a retomar las negociaciones a la mayor brevedad posible.
The committee urged the parties to resume negotiations as soon as possible.
How to use it
Instar a means 'to urge', 'to call on', or 'to press' — a formal/written register alternative to animar a (to encourage) or pedir que (to ask). It is stronger than recomendar but softer than ordenar. Pattern: instar a alguien a + infinitive. It is characteristic of official statements, press releases, political discourse, institutional communications, and formal letters. Register note: in everyday conversation, animar, pedir, or rogar are more natural.
Common mistake
Over-formal in conversation: using instar a in a casual context ('Te insto a que limpies tu cuarto') sounds absurd — use pedir or decir. Register awareness is everything with this verb. Also: instar a alguien a + infinitive (not *que + subjunctive): the construction is a + infinitive, unlike subjunctive-trigger verbs. However, instar a que + subjunctive also exists in some written contexts — both are correct, with a + inf being the higher-register default.