Universitárias

Universitárias is the feminine plural form of the adjective universitária and, in some contexts, used as a feminine plural noun. It denotes things related to a university or refers to women who study at a university. The term is common in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, with usage varying by region and context.

As an adjective, universitárias agrees with feminine plural nouns and appears after the noun in most typical constructions, for example in vida universitária (university life) or atividades universitárias (university activities). When used as a noun, it can refer to female university students, as in as universitárias, meaning “the female university students.” This usage highlights gender and number and is more prominent in informal or colloquial speech, especially in Brazilian Portuguese.

The related masculine form is universitário, which can function as both an adjective meaning university-related and as a shorthand noun for a university student (masculine). The feminine counterpart is universitária, with plural forms universitárias for adjectives and as a noun. The root is Latin universitas, from which many Romance languages derive terms for university and university life.

In discourse, universitárias often appear in discussions of student life, gendered perspectives in higher education, and policies affecting female students. The term underscores the social and educational dimension of university environments and their communities.