indevidamente

Indevidamente is a term that appears in some Portuguese-language texts but is generally treated as a nonstandard or erroneous form. It is most often encountered as a misspelling of the adverb indebidamente, which means “in an improper, unwarranted, or unjustified manner.”

Status and etymology

Indebidamente is derived from the adjective indevido (not due, unwarranted) and forms the standard adverb with the suffix -mente. Indevidamente, by contrast, does not appear in major dictionaries and is not recognized as a correct variant in formal Portuguese. The spelling likely results from confusion with related words such as indevido/indevida or with forms like individualmente, which share a similar appearance but a different meaning.

Usage and guidance

In formal writing, indevidamente should be avoided. When the intended meaning is “in an improper manner,” the correct form is indebidamente. If the writer is aiming to express “individually,” the proper term is individualmente. Because indevidamente can be mistaken for legitimate forms, editors and readers typically treat it as a typographical error rather than a separate lexical entry.

Examples

Correct usage: O relatório foi indebidamente modificado pelo colaborador.

Common misspelling: O relatório foi indevididamente modificado pelo colaborador. (Considered incorreto; andamento sugerido: indebidamente.)

See also

Indebidamente, individualmente, indibidualmente (note: indibidualmente is not the standard form for “individually”; the correct term is individualmente).