Discalced

Discalced is an adjective derived from the Latin discalceatus, meaning barefoot. In religious contexts, it designates orders or communities whose members adopt bare or minimally shod footwear as a symbol of poverty, humility, and penance. The term is especially associated with reform movements within Catholicism that sought stricter observance of evangelical counsels, often in response to perceived laxity.

The best-known use is with the Discalced Carmelites (Ordo Carmelitarum Discalceatorum), a reform branch of the Carmelite Order established in 16th-century Spain by Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross. Compared with the earlier Carmelite Observances, the Discalced Carmelites emphasized a more austere rule, contemplative prayer, and renewed communal discipline. The name stems from the community's practice of wearing sandals (or going barefoot) as a sign of poverty.

The term has also appeared in reference to other reform groups within Catholic orders, used to signal a return to stricter poverty and ascetic practices. In modern usage, 'Discalced' is part of the official titles of certain monastic or mendicant communities and may denote both male and female members who follow guidelines of contemplation and reform within their respective orders. Overall, the word functions as a historical marker for ascetic reform and humility within religious life.