laicus

Laicus is a Latin noun and adjective meaning "of the people" or "belonging to the common people." In classical Latin it described ordinary citizens, distinct from magistrates or soldiers. In Christian usage, laicus acquired a specialized sense: a layperson—someone who is baptized but not ordained to holy orders or serving as a member of the clerical state.

In the early Church, laici were contrasted with clerici or sacerdotes, a division that organized church life into those who performed ordination-based rites and governance versus those who contributed as members of the faithful in parishes and missions. The term survives in liturgical and canonical language, commonly rendered as "lay" in English; the plural is laici and the noun form laicus is the adjective.

In modern Catholic usage, laity refers to all baptized Christians who are not members of the ordained clergy or religious orders. The Second Vatican Council emphasized the vocation of the laity to holiness and to the apostolate in the world, including family life, work, and public service. Laity participate in the life of the Church through parish councils, lay ministries, and various forms of service, while remaining distinct from the ordained clergy and religious.