discutido

Discutido is the past participle of the Spanish verb discutir, meaning to discuss, debate, or argue. It is used to form compound tenses with haber, as in he discutido, has discutido, hemos discutido. When employed as an adjective, discutido describes something that has been discussed or debated, rather than something that simply happened to be discussed. Context determines nuance: it can indicate a neutral “discussed,” a “debated,” or a more strongly “controversial” sense, as in un tema discutido (a topic that has been debated) or la cuestión discutida (the debated issue).

Etymology and related forms: discutido derives from Latin discutere, meaning “to shake apart, to examine,” formed from dis- (apart) and quatere (to shake). The Spanish verb discutir and its participle align with other Romance languages; the Portuguese equivalent is the same form, discutido, with parallel usage meaning discussed or debated.

Usage notes: In Spanish, the distinction between discutir meaning “to discuss” (informational or analytical conversation) and “to argue” can vary by region and context, which can affect how discutido is interpreted as a descriptor. As an example, “Hemos discutido el plan” expresses that the plan has been discussed; “Es un tema discutido” suggests the topic is acknowledged as having been widely debated. In formal writing, discutido frequently appears in contexts describing literature, ideas, or issues that have undergone examination or contention.

See also: discutir, discutible, controvertido.