adultoadulta

adultoadulta is a proposed Spanish neologism intended to serve as a gender-inclusive form addressing adults without designating gender. It blends the masculine adulto and the feminine adulta, creating a compound that can function as a singular noun and as an adjective when modified by context.

Origin and use: The term appeared in online discussions on inclusive language in the 2010s and 2020s; it remains unofficial and is not widely adopted or recognized by major linguistic authorities. Its usage varies by community and country; some writers employ it to avoid gendered words in singular references, while others prefer "persona adulta" or "adultas y adultos."

Grammatical notes: As a compound, adultoadulta can inflect for number and agreement in contexts that tolerate nonstandard forms; plural might be "adultoadultas" or alternate strategies such as "personas adultas." Critics argue that it can be clumsy or confusing and that it may conflict with established orthography. Proponents view it as a pragmatic option among several inclusive-language tools.

See also: inclusive language, gender-neutral language, linguistic neologisms, Spanish orthography.