alcoólica

Alcoólica is the feminine form of the adjective alcoólico in Spanish and Portuguese, used to describe things related to alcohol (ethanol) or to alcohol‑related conditions. It modifies feminine nouns, as in bebidas alcohólicas (alcoholic beverages) or intoxicación alcohólica (alcohol intoxication). It also appears in medical terms such as cirrosis hepática alcoólica or daño hepático alcoólico, and in scientific context to refer to processes or substances containing alcohol, for example fermentación alcoólica (alcoholic fermentation) and solución alcoólica (alcoholic solution).

In everyday language, alcoólica can describe a person who uses or abuses alcohol, although more common is the masculine alcohólico for a man and the feminine alcohólica for a woman when used as a noun. As an adjective, it agrees with the gender of the noun it accompanies.

Etymology-wise, the root is alcohol, a term borrowed into Romance languages from the Arabic al-kuḥl, with the adjective forms developing in Spanish and Portuguese through influences from French and Latin. The corresponding English form is alcoholic, and the French term is alcoolique.

Usage notes emphasize that alcohólica functions primarily as an adjective, with its gender agreement reflecting the noun it modifies. It spans domains from chemistry and biology to medicine and everyday reference to alcoholic beverages.