indevido

Indevido is a Portuguese adjective meaning not due, not warranted, or improper. It describes something that lacks justification, authorization, entitlement, or correctness. The masculine form is indevido and the feminine form is indevida; the adverbial form indevidamente exists but is rarely used in everyday language.

Etymology and sense: Indevido is formed from in- (not) + devido (due). This stresses that the item or action does not meet the requisite condition of being owed or permitted. In addition to legal or financial contexts, it can describe actions, requests, or charges that are inappropriate or unfounded.

Common contexts: In law and finance, indevido is frequently used with nouns such as valor indevido (undue amount), cobrança indevida (unlawful charge), débito indevido (undue debit), or pagamento indevido (undue payment). In consumer and administrative law, declarations that a payment or charge is indevido often lead to restitution or refund obligations.

Usage notes: Indevido conveys a normative judgment about improper entitlement, rather than simply incorrectness. It is used in formal and semi-formal style, including legal texts, contracts, and news reporting.

Related terms: Improcedente, inadequado, impróprio are close in meaning but differ in nuance. In a legal setting, indevido is contrasted with devido (due) and legal or legitimate charges, and with ilícito (illegal) when illegality is involved.

See also: Cobrança indevida, pagamento indevido, débito indevido, restituição.