desaparecida

Desaparecida is the feminine form of the adjective meaning "missing" in Spanish and Portuguese. It can function as a noun to refer to a woman who has disappeared or whose whereabouts are unknown. The masculine forms are desaparecido in both Spanish and Portuguese. In everyday usage, desaparecida appears in news reports, police alerts, and human rights discourse to describe a person whose fate has not been determined.

In Spanish, the term is commonly used in phrases like persona desaparecida or as a label for a missing woman. In Portuguese, desaparecida follows a similar pattern when referring to a missing female. The word is frequently encountered in discussions of missing persons, child abductions, or victims of political repression, where gendered language distinguishes between desaparecida and desaparecido.

Context and implications: The term is closely associated with the broader phenomenon of disappearances, including cases where individuals are abducted by state or non-state actors and their fate remains unknown. Enforced disappearances are a subject of international concern, and international law—such as the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance—seeks to prohibit, prevent, and remedy these acts. Families and human rights organizations often use the term desaparecida to document cases, demand investigations, and seek truth and accountability for those who remain unaccounted for.

See also: desaparecido, desaparición (Spanish), desaparecimento (Portuguese), desaparición forzada.