adecuados

Adecuados is the plural masculine form of the Spanish adjective adecuado, which denotes something that is appropriate, fitting, or sufficient for a particular purpose. It can describe people, objects, actions, or conditions, as in los candidatos adecuados para el puesto o medidas adecuadas. The feminine plural form is adecuadas, and the adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Etymology and form: adecuados derives from Latin adequatus, a participle of adequare, meaning to make suitable or to fit. The root adecu- combines with the suffix -ado to form the adjective, and the adverbial form is adecuadamente.

Usage notes and synonyms: Adecuado emphasizes suitability for a defined aim or standard, rather than merely legality or formality. It is close in meaning to synonyms such as apropiado, idóneo, and conveniente, though each carries subtle nuances. Idóneo implies a particularly apt or ideal choice, while adecuado stresses adequacy for the situation at hand.

Contexts: The term appears across fields such as education, safety, law, and employment, with common collocations like criterios adecuados, equipo adecuado, and procedimiento adecuado. It can describe conditions, requirements, or actions that meet a required standard.

Related terms: Adecuación (noun referring to the state or process of being adequate), adaptar/adecuar (to adapt to make suitable), adecuadamente (adverb meaning in an adequate or appropriate manner), adecuarse (to adapt oneself).

See also: Adecuación, Adecuación lingüística, Adecuarse, Adecuadamente.