debida

Debida is the feminine singular form of a Spanish adjective derived from the verb deber, meaning that something is owed, due, or proper. The masculine counterpart is debido, and both forms agree with the noun they modify. In formal and legal language, debida describes obligations, payments, or responsibilities that are owed or required. For example, it is common to encounter phrases such as obligacion debida or diligencia debida, where the adjective agrees with feminine nouns.

A widely recognized usage is in the expression debida diligencia, which translates the English term “due diligence.” This phrase is common in legal, corporate, and regulatory contexts to denote the necessary standard of care and inquiry in business transactions and compliance processes. The position of the adjective can vary with emphasis, but the standard form in most jurisdictions is debida diligencia.

Etymology and related forms: debida comes from the Latin root debitus, via the Spanish verb deber, which means to owe or ought. The masculine form debído/debido and the feminine debida reflect gender agreement in Spanish. In Portuguese, a closely related concept uses devida (from dever), illustrating how related Romance languages express the same general idea of something that is due.

See also: due diligence, obligation, debt, responsibility. Debida is primarily a Spanish term and appears most often in legal and formal administrative texts, where it helps denote what is owed or appropriately required.