marco
nounCEFR B2
What does “marco” mean in English?
framework, context
framework, context (a structure of rules or concepts within which something operates; marco regulatorio; en el marco de)
Example sentences
El nuevo marco regulatorio europeo establece obligaciones en materia de sostenibilidad y transparencia corporativa.
The new European regulatory framework establishes obligations in the area of sustainability and corporate transparency.
Las negociaciones se celebraron en el marco de la reunión anual del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas.
The negotiations took place within the framework of the annual meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
El cuadro ganó aún más valor al ser enmarcado en un marco original del siglo XVII.
The painting gained even more value when set in an original seventeenth-century frame.
How to use it
El marco (noun, masculine) has three productive B2 senses: (1) framework/context — a structure of rules, conditions, or concepts (marco regulatorio/jurídico/conceptual); (2) frame — a physical border around a picture or window; (3) setting/backdrop — in narrative/descriptive use (el marco incomparable de la Alhambra). At B2, sense (1) dominates in formal discourse. Core collocations: en el marco de (within the framework of); marco regulatorio/normativo/legal; el marco conceptual; fuera del marco establecido. The verb form is enmarcar (to frame/place in context).
Common mistake
Marco (framework/context) is a very high-frequency false friend with English 'mark' — they are unrelated. En el marco de (within the framework of) is a key B2 formal connective that should be learnt as a fixed phrase. Don't confuse with estructura (internal structure) or contexto (context — more discursive).