destinadas

Destinadas is a Portuguese and Spanish adjective meaning “intended,” “allocated,” or “destined,” often used in the feminine plural form to agree with the nouns it modifies. Etymologically, the term derives from the Latin verb destinare, which conveyed the idea of fixing a purpose or direction. In Portuguese, the masculine singular form is destinado, while destinada is the feminine singular, and destinadas serves as the feminine plural. The Spanish equivalents follow a similar pattern: destinado, destinada and destinadas.

In contemporary usage, destinadas appears frequently in legal, administrative, and financial contexts to specify resources or responsibilities earmarked for a particular group or purpose. Examples include “fundos destinad​os à saúde” (funds allocated to health) or “vagas destinad​as a pessoas com deficiência” (slots intended for people with disabilities). The term also features in educational and social policy documents, where it signals targeted interventions or programs.

Beyond its grammatical function, Destinadas has been adopted as a title for various cultural and social initiatives. In Brazil, the term has been used for a television documentary series that profiles women overcoming adversity, emphasizing the notion that their lives are “destined” for change. In Spain, a nonprofit organization named Destinadas focuses on empowerment and vocational training for marginalised women, drawing on the word’s connotation of purposeful direction.

The adjective is also present in literary works, where authors employ destinadas to convey destiny or fate, especially when describing collective experiences. In these contexts, the plural form underscores the shared nature of the intended outcomes or the common path of the subjects involved.