recurso
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “recurso” mean in English?
1.resource, means
resource, means (a supply or asset that can be drawn on; recursos naturales; recursos humanos)
2.appeal
appeal (legal) — a formal request for a higher court or authority to review a decision; also a resource/asset and a rhetorical device (interponer un recurso; recurso de apelación)
Example sentences
La empresa interpuso un recurso de apelación ante el Tribunal Superior, alegando que la sentencia vulneraba sus derechos contractuales.
The company lodged an appeal with the High Court, arguing that the ruling violated its contractual rights.
El recurso fue desestimado por unanimidad por la sala, lo que dejó firme la condena.
The appeal was unanimously dismissed by the chamber, making the sentence final.
La defensa anunció que agotaría todos los recursos legales disponibles antes de aceptar la resolución.
The defence announced it would exhaust all available legal remedies before accepting the ruling.
How to use it
El recurso (noun, masculine) covers several high-frequency B2 senses: (1) a legal appeal (interponer un recurso ante el tribunal — to lodge an appeal with the court), (2) a resource/asset (los recursos naturales/económicos/humanos — natural/economic/human resources), and (3) a device or strategy (un recurso retórico — a rhetorical device). The most productive collocations differ by sense: interponer/presentar/desestimar un recurso (legal); gestionar/agotar los recursos (resource management); recurrir a un recurso (to resort to a device). This atom focuses on the appeal/legal sense to anchor the English lemma 'appeal'.
Common mistake
The English lemma 'appeal' maps most cleanly to recurso in the legal sense; but 'appeal' also means 'attraction/attractiveness' (atractivo), 'to appeal to someone emotionally' (apelar a, conmover a), and 'to appeal for help' (hacer un llamamiento). At B2, knowing all three Spanish mappings matters. Interponer un recurso is a fixed legal phrase — don't substitute other verbs.