catòlic

Catòlic is the Catalan adjective and noun used to refer to things related to the Catholic Church and Catholicism, or to adherents of the Catholic faith. The term comes from the Latin catolicus, via the Greek katholikos, meaning universal. In Catalan, catòlic can describe people, beliefs, or institutions associated with Catholicism, and is widely used across Catalan-speaking communities.

The word has gender and number forms: masculine singular catòlic, feminine singular catòlica; masculine plural catòlics, feminine plural catòliques. As a noun, a Catholic man can be called un catòlic, a Catholic woman una catòlica, and together they may be referred to as catòlics (general) or catòliques (feminine plural). Phrases such as l’Església catòlica (the Catholic Church), creences catòliques (Catholic beliefs), and pràctiques catòliques (Catholic practices) are common in Catalan.

In official usage, the denomination is typically rendered as l’Església catòlica, and in reference to the Roman Catholic Church the full designation l’Església catòlica romana is used. The term catòlic is a standard descriptor within Catalan to distinguish Catholicism from other Christian traditions, and it appears in religious, historical, and cultural contexts. Related terms include catòlicisme and catòlica dogma, which denote aspects of Catholic theology and doctrine.