Indeseado

Indeseado is an adjective in Spanish meaning not desired, unwanted, or unwelcome. It describes something that is not wanted or sought after, such as a person who is not welcome, a result that is not desired, or material that is not accepted.

Form and etymology: indeseado agrees in gender and number (indeseado, indeseada; indeseados, indeseadas). It is formed with the prefix in- attached to deseado, the past participle of desear (to desire). The term is closely related to no deseado, functioning as a single-word alternative to express the same idea with a nuanced emphasis in some registers.

Usage and nuance: In everyday speech, many speakers prefer no deseado as the natural negation. Indeseado tends to appear in more formal, literary, or technical contexts and can carry a stronger sense of social or moral disapproval. It can describe a wide range of things, from a correo indeseado (unwanted mail) or un contenido indeseado (unwanted content) to a persona indeseada (an unwelcome guest) or un resultado indeseado (an undesired outcome). Practically, the two forms overlap, but indeseado may feel slightly more emphatic or literary.

Relation to other terms: Deseado is the opposite, meaning desired. Desirable is deseable. Indeseable is another adjective meaning undesirable, often used in formal or normative language and sometimes seen as synonymous with indeseado in certain contexts. No deseado remains the most common everyday expression for “not desired” in many dialects.

Regional and stylistic notes: Preferences for indeseado versus no deseado vary by region and style. Dictionaries and corpora from Spanish-speaking communities can reflect these differences in usage and frequency.