enquistado
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “enquistado” mean in English?
entrenched — deeply embedded and impervious to change; like a cyst that cannot be removed without surgery
entrenched — deeply embedded and impervious to change; like a cyst that cannot be removed without surgery (un problema enquistado, el conflicto enquistado)
Example sentences
El clientelismo político está enquistado en algunas administraciones locales desde hace décadas y resulta muy difícil de erradicar.
Political clientelism has been entrenched in some local administrations for decades and is very difficult to eradicate.
Mientras el conflicto permanezca enquistado, cualquier proceso de paz será superficial e inestable.
As long as the conflict remains entrenched, any peace process will be superficial and unstable.
Los investigadores advierten de que los sesgos enquistados en los algoritmos son más difíciles de detectar que los sesgos humanos explícitos.
Researchers warn that biases entrenched in algorithms are harder to detect than explicit human biases.
How to use it
Enquistado (adjective, from enquistarse — to become encyst-like, to become embedded and impossible to remove) means 'entrenched' or 'deeply embedded' in a way that resists change. It is a vivid metaphor (from medical Spanish: a cyst that encapsulates) applied to social, political, or institutional problems. Unlike arraigado (deep-rooted, from plant roots — implies organic growth), enquistado implies something that has become a problem precisely because it is sealed off and impervious to intervention. Collocation: un problema enquistado, una cultura de corrupción enquistada.
Common mistake
Enquistado (resistant, sealed-in problem: a cyst metaphor) vs arraigado (deep-rooted: a plant metaphor). Both convey stubborn persistence, but enquistado stresses impermeability and danger (it needs to be cut out), while arraigado can be neutral or positive (deep-rooted traditions). 'Enquistado' almost always has a negative connotation; 'arraigado' can be neutral: costumbres arraigadas (well-established customs).