encomenda

Encomenda is a Portuguese noun with several related meanings linked to entrusting or assigning something by request or command. It can denote the act of placing an order for goods or services with a supplier, or the item itself once ordered.

In modern usage, it commonly refers to the act of placing an order for goods or services with a supplier. The person who places the order is the encomendante (the customer); the supplier fulfills the encomenda by delivering the requested items. In postal and logistics contexts, encomenda denotes a package or shipment intended for delivery to a recipient; the term is used in Portugal and Brazil for consignments, packages, or parcels.

Historically, the term also described a grant or charge established by the Crown in Portugal (and in its overseas territories) to an individual or to a religious or military order. An encomenda could involve the assignment of land, income rights, or authority to collect dues, often linked to obligations such as service or religious duties. The holders of such encomendas were called encomendeiros; the system declined with reform in the modern era.

Etymology: encomenda derives from Latin commendare, meaning to entrust, via Old French encomander, entering Portuguese with the sense of entrusting that underlies all uses. In everyday language, encomendar means to order or to entrust something to be done or delivered.

In contemporary usage, the exact meaning depends on context: it can refer to an order placed with a supplier, a package to be delivered, or, in historical discussions, a crown-granted right or revenue arrangement. The term is sometimes contrasted with the Spanish encomienda, though both share a common root.