intrínseca

Intrínseca is the feminine form of intrinsic in Spanish and Portuguese, used as an adjective to describe qualities or properties that are inherent to something. Such properties are considered part of the object's essential nature and are not determined by external conditions. The term is often contrasted with extrínseco or extrínseca, which describe attributes arising from external factors.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from Latin intrinsecus. In both Spanish and Portuguese, intrínseca appears in philosophy, science, and everyday language to indicate something that belongs to the core essence of a thing, as opposed to what is produced or caused by outside circumstances.

Philosophy and value: In ethics and epistemology, intrinsic value refers to value that something has in itself, independent of its usefulness or consequences. Intrinsic properties are those a thing possesses by its own nature, such as identity or certain qualitative characteristics, while extrinsic properties depend on relation to other things or contexts.

Cultural and publishing use: Intrínseca is also the name of a Brazilian publishing house that operates in the Portuguese-language market. The company markets contemporary fiction and non-fiction, publishing works by both Brazilian authors and international writers to Brazilian readers.

Linguistic notes: The form intrínseca agrees with gender and number of the noun it modifies. Masculine is intrínseco, feminine intrínseca; plural forms are intrínsecos and intrínsecas. Common examples include “cualidad intrínseca” or “característica intrínseca.” This gender agreement reflects standard usage in Spanish and Portuguese.