Requerido

Requerido is a term in Spanish that functions as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it describes something that is necessary, demanded, or required. As a noun, it refers to the person or entity that has been called upon or required to respond or appear, often in a legal or formal context.

Etymology and forms: Requerido comes from the verb requerir, which in turn derives from Latin requirere “to seek, require.” The word changes for gender and number: masculino singular requerido, femenino singular requerida; plural requeridos or requeridas, depending on gender.

Usage and contexts: In everyday Spanish, requerido is used to indicate something that is needed or demanded, as in datos requeridos (required data) or información requerida (information needed). In legal and administrative language, el requerido denotes the person or entity to whom a summons, demand, or order is addressed, for example, “el requerido no se presentó” or “informar al requerido sobre la audiencia.” The related noun requerimiento refers to the formal act or document that demands compliance or appearance, rather than the person itself.

Related terms: Requerir, the verb, covers various senses from needing something to demanding compliance. Requisitar is another term with overlapping meaning in some contexts, though it is less common. The historical term Requerimiento refers to a formal declaration used by the Spanish Crown in the early colonial era; it is distinct from the modern noun and its typical legal usage.

Notes: Requerido should not be confused with requerimiento, which denotes the act of requiring or the document itself rather than the recipient.