acreditada

Acreditada is the feminine singular past participle of the verb acreditar in Spanish and Portuguese, used as an adjective to denote that a person, organization, program, or facility has been officially recognized or authorized by a competent authority. The masculine form is acreditado, and the concept is commonly expressed through the related noun acreditación or acreditamento in each language.

In Spanish, acreditada typically modifies feminine nouns such as persona acreditada (an accredited person), institución acreditada (an accredited institution), or programa acreditado (an accredited program). The accompanying process is known as acreditación, the formal act of gaining recognition by an accrediting body. The term signals conformity with established standards in fields such as education, health care, professional licensing, laboratories, and social services.

In Portuguese, acreditada functions similarly and is used with feminine nouns like unidade acreditada (accredited unit) or empresa acreditada (accredited company). The corresponding process is acreditação (accreditation), often carried out by national or regional bodies that perform assessments, site visits, and periodic re-accreditation to maintain recognized status.

Etymology traces acreditada to Latin ac- and creditum through the verb acreditar, meaning to entrust or to give credit, with gender and number agreement applied to the noun it describes. The term thus denotes formal recognition, legitimacy, and adherence to defined standards across various sectors.