perjudicial

Perjudicial is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe something that causes harm or damages the interests of a person, group, or entity. It denotes negative effects, disadvantage, or injury and can apply to health, environment, finances, or social well-being. The term derives from the verb perjudicar, meaning to injure or disadvantage.

In everyday usage, perjudicial commonly modifies nouns such as health, environment, economy, or reputation. Examples include phrases like efectos perjudiciales para la salud (harmful effects on health) or prácticas perjudiciales para el medio ambiente. It can also describe actions, policies, or conditions that produce detrimental consequences for a party involved in a transaction, agreement, or process.

In legal and formal contexts, perjudicial conveys that something could negatively affect rights, interests, or outcomes. It is often contrasted with terms meaning beneficial or favorable and is used to frame questions of risk, liability, or standards of care. The word is part of a broader family of synonyms that express harm, such as dañino, nocivo, and lesivo, each with slightly different nuance or formality.

Translation into English generally yields harmful, prejudicial, or detrimental, depending on context. In cross-language use, who is affected and the severity of the harm guide the most appropriate equivalent. Overall, perjudicial remains a standard, neutral descriptor of negative impact in formal and informal discourse.