Organization of American States
4
3.7
- proper noun
:
Organización de Estados Americanos
- The second (and most institutionally innovative) wave began in 1947 with the Rio Pact and the formation of the Organization of American States and continued through the establishment of the Inter-American Development Bank.
- Organization of American States (OAS)
- Charter of the Organization of American States
- Nations and the Organization of American States
Examples
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The Organization of American States plays a vital role in promoting democracy and peace in the Americas.
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In accordance with this afternoon's vote at the Organization of American States, the quarantine will hereby be effective as of 10:00 tomorrow morning.
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Organizations with more explicitly political functions, such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States, also have an important role to play.
Academic text (2004) -
The Organization of American States has also given invaluable help to the Caribbean and Latin American region.
Academic text (2002) -
A strong showing of support from the Organization of American States would give us an umbrella of legitimacy.
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A month later, the Organization of American States (OAS) added to the mounting criticism of Mexico's political system.
Academic text (1991) -
The United States is investing in strengthening global structures such as the G-20 and regional institutions such as the Organization of American States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Academic text (2010) -
The PAN has already internationalized the debate by taking its charges of electoral fraud to the Organization of American States (OAS).
Academic text (1990) -
The pressures, nonetheless, are real, and Cuba must deal with them, especially if it hopes to fully participate in the Organization of American States and hemispheric bodies such as the Inter-American Development Bank.
Academic text (1996) -
Old multilateral institutions such as the Organization of American States are struggling to recover from the distortions of U.S. hegemony and the ambivalence and outright defiance.
Academic text (2010)
Synonyms
6
5.7
An international group of countries in North and South America that helps them work together on government, economy, and culture
Surface Forms
Morphology
organization + of + American + state
The meaning is directly compositional: 'organization' (a collective) + 'of' + 'American' (relating to the Americas) + 'states' (nations) yields an organization of the American countries. This standard noun + of + adjective + noun structure is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the MWE's meaning even if they don't know the specific institution.
Etymology
The Organization of American States began after World War II when leaders from North and South America wanted one place to meet and solve problems together. Think of it as a table where the organization brings the American states to 'cooperate', so today it means a group of countries in the Americas that work together on political, economic, and social issues.