buscada

Buscada is the feminine form of the past participle of buscar in Spanish, and functions mainly as an adjective meaning “that has been sought” or “desired.” It is commonly found in phrases such as la pieza buscada (the sought piece) or la solución buscada (the sought solution). In addition to its adjectival use, buscada can appear as a noun in certain contexts, especially in journalistic language and headlines, where it refers to a person or object that is being searched for or pursued, for example: la persona buscada por la policía (the person sought by the police).

Etymology and forms: Buscada derives from buscar plus the suffix -ada, which is used in Spanish to form adjectives and nouns that relate to a completed action or result. The masculine counterpart is buscado, and related forms include buscadora (female seeker or someone who looks for something) and búsqueda (the act or process of searching).

Usage notes: While buscada is standard in literary or formal writing as an adjective, for the noun sense of “the sought-after one,” it remains relatively uncommon outside specific contexts; more frequent is la búsqueda to denote the act of searching. In everyday speech, prefer phrases that clearly indicate what is being sought, such as la solución buscada or el objeto buscado. The term is not tied to any particular regional meaning and is understood across Spanish-speaking communities.

See also: búsqueda, buscador, buscado, buscadora.