despedido

Despedido is the past participle of the Spanish verb despedir. It functions as an adjective meaning “dismissed” or “fired” in relation to a person or their job. It agrees with the gender and number of the subject: un empleado despedido, una empleada despedida. The feminine form of the participle is despedida, which also serves as a common noun meaning farewell in other phrases; context usually clarifies the intended meaning.

As a noun, the event of dismissal is normally written despido: “el despido” referring to the act, and “un despedido” to a person who has been dismissed—though the latter is less formal and less common in official language.

In employment law, despido refers to the termination of an employment contract by the employer. Dismissals can be justified (despido con causa) or unjustified (despido sin causa or improcedente). Common grounds include economic reasons, disciplinary infractions, or objective criteria such as business needs. The required procedure usually includes written notice, disclosure of the reason, and a period of preaviso; depending on jurisdiction, the employee may be entitled to indemnización or severance pay, and may have the right to challenge the dismissal in court. Some countries distinguish despido procedente, despido improcedente, and despido nulo (null or void), with varying remedies.

Outside the workplace, despedir can also mean to bid farewell, especially in the form despedirse. In social usage, despedirse is used for saying goodbye, while despedir a person denotes dismissal from a job.