Jednorazový

Jednorazový is a Czech adjective meaning designed for single use and intended to be discarded after one use. It is used to describe products, materials, or packaging that are not designed for repeated use, as opposed to reusable or durable alternatives. The term is widely used in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and consumer contexts to distinguish disposable items from reusable ones.

Etymology and grammar: The word is formed from the stem jednoráz- with the adjectival suffix -ový; the masculine form is jednorázový, feminine jednorázová, neuter jednorázové, and the forms agree with the noun they modify (e.g., jednorázové rukavice, jednorázová plena, jednorázové pleny).

Common contexts include disposable gloves (jednorázové rukavice), disposable plates and cutlery (jednorázové talíře, jednorázové příbory), medical consumables (jednorázové injekční stříkačky, jednorázové obvazy), and packaging (jednorázové obaly, jednorázové pytlíky). It is also used in policy discussions about single-use plastics, where "jednorázové plasty" refers to plastics intended for one-time use and discarded after use, contributing to waste.

Usage note: The term generally implies that an item is not intended for reuse, though in certain controlled or sterile environments some so‑called disposable items may be repurposed. The adverbial form jednorázově exists to describe actions done for a single occasion (e.g., použity jednorázově).