indesiderata

Indesiderata is the plural form of indesideratum, a term used to denote things that are not desired or are to be avoided. It originates from the Latin in- (not) and desideratum (something desirable), and it contrasts with desiderata, the things sought or required.

In usage, indesiderata refer to unwanted features, outcomes, or conditions within a given context such as product design, policy analysis, or risk assessment. They are identified during decision-making to define exclusions or constraints and to guide optimization toward preferable alternatives.

Examples of indesiderata include adverse effects in medicine (such as side effects or drug interactions), contraindications to a procedure, or safety risks. In urban planning, indesiderata might be noise, pollution, traffic congestion, or inadequate access to services. In software development, they can include security vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks, or data privacy concerns. In research, potential biases or confounding variables may be described as indesiderata to be controlled or avoided.

Relation to desiderata: while desiderata describe favorable criteria or goals, indesiderata denote the opposite and are often treated as constraints that limit design choices. Recognizing them helps in risk mitigation, prioritization, and the transparent framing of trade-offs in planning and evaluation.

See also: desiderata, undesired effects, risk assessment, constraints.

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