calificados

Calificados is the plural form of the Spanish adjective calificado, meaning that someone or something has been classified, rated, or deemed to meet certain standards. In general use, it describes a person who has the credentials, experience, or training required to perform a task or to hold a position. The term is common in human resources and public administration, where phrases such as candidatos calificados, trabajadores calificados, or proveedores calificados indicate eligibility or suitability.

The word comes from calificar, to qualify or to rate, which in turn derives from Latin calificare. In addition to the adjective sense, calificación refers to the act of rating or grading, or to the score assigned. In many contexts, calificado is roughly synonymous with cualificado or capacitado, though regional preferences vary; calificado often appears in Latin American usage and in formal or administrative registers.

Usage contexts include employment and labor markets, education and evaluation, licensing and procurement, and quality control. For example: una vacante dirigida a candidatos calificados; un servicio calificado; una calificación de examen. The term also appears as a descriptor for professionals who hold recognized credentials, such as trabajadores calificados or técnicos calificados, and for standards-compliant products or processes.

See also calificación, cualificación, certificado, acreditación, competencia.