aplicado

Aplicado is a participle adjective in Spanish and Portuguese derived from the verb aplicar. In both languages it carries two main senses: a person who applies themselves, i.e., diligent or studious; and something that is applied or practical, as opposed to theoretical. The form changes with gender and number: Spanish aplicad o, aplicada; Portuguese aplicado, aplicada; plural aplicados, aplicadas.

In Spanish, aplicado (masc.) or aplicada (fem.) is commonly used to describe a student who works hard or studies with care, as in una estudiante aplicada. The adjective also appears in phrases that denote practical or applied disciplines or methods, such as ciencia aplicada, técnica aplicada or investigación aplicada, where it marks a orientation toward real-world use rather than pure theory.

In Portuguese, aplicado or aplicada shares the same dual sense: a diligente student can be referred to as um aluno aplicado, and disciplines or methods oriented toward practical application use the compound forms like ciência aplicada, matemática aplicada. The expression aplicado a (applied to) is also used to indicate relevance to a specific context or purpose.

Etymology: aplicado comes from Latin applicatus, the past participle of applicare (ad + plicare, to place, attach, or bring to). In both languages, the term preserves the sense of bringing knowledge to bear in practical or dedicated work.

See also: aplicar, aplicação, ciência aplicada, uso aplicado.