juzgada

Juzgada is the feminine singular past participle of the Spanish verb juzgar, meaning "judged" or "evaluated." As an adjective, it describes something that has undergone a judgment or assessment and agrees with the feminine noun it modifies, for example, la persona juzgada (the person who has been judged) or la evidencia juzgada (the evidence that has been judged).

In legal language, the most notable use of the root is in the fixed expression cosa juzgada, literally “the thing judged.” This term denotes a matter that has received a final, binding judgment and, under the principle of res judicata, cannot be re-opened or relitigated in court. Cosa juzgada is central to civil and administrative procedure in many Spanish-speaking jurisdictions, marking the point at which judgments acquire final enforceability.

Juzgada also appears in constructions such as sentencia juzgada or caso juzgado, though in practice one often encounters more common phrases like la sentencia firme (the final judgment) or la cosa juzgada to convey the same idea. The feminine form juzgada aligns with the gender of the noun it modifies, while the complementary masculine form juzgado is used for masculine nouns or when acting as a noun meaning “court” (el juzgado).

Etymology traces juzgada to Latin iudicatus, from iudicare “to judge.” In everyday language, juzgada serves as a descriptive form or as part of legal terminology, whereas juzgado is more commonly used to refer to a court or tribunal. See also juzgar, juzgado, cosa juzgada, sentencia.