portuguesas

Portuguesas is the feminine plural form of the Portuguese word portuguesa, used to denote women from Portugal or of Portuguese descent. In English, it corresponds to “Portuguese women” and, more broadly, to the feminine form of the Portuguese demonym when describing people or things related to Portugal. As a noun, it refers specifically to women who are Portuguese. As an adjective, it agrees with feminine nouns to indicate association with Portugal, as in mulheres portuguesas or comidas portuguesas.

The term derives from Portugal, whose name historically comes from Portucale, a medieval reference that contributed to the Latin and Romance forms for the country and its people. The feminine plural form portuguesa is part of standard Romance morphology, with the masculine equivalent being portuguesos and the feminine singular portuguesa.

In usage, portuguesas appears in a variety of contexts, including journalism, literature, and everyday speech. It can describe nationality, ethnicity, or cultural affiliation, and is commonly paired with nouns to specify the feminine subject, such as “portuguesas de Lisboa” (women from Lisbon) or “mulheres portuguesas” (Portuguese women). The term is neutral and non-political, used to identify identity or association rather than to endorse or characterize individuals beyond their Portuguese heritage.

See also: Portuguese people; Demonym; Language and culture of Portugal.