oblato

Oblato is a term with several related, but distinct, uses in religious and linguistic contexts, and it also appears in scientific vocabulary in some languages. The most common sense in English-language discussions is as a designation related to Catholic and some other Christian religious communities.

In Catholic and monastic contexts, an oblato (plural oblati in Latin-based usage) refers to a lay person who associates with a religious community, living according to its rules and performing works of service without taking final monastic vows. Oblates commit to prayer, formation, and daily work, remaining a lay member while supporting the community’s mission. The specific rights, duties, and path toward full discernment vary between orders and rites. The term derives from the Latin oblatus, meaning “offered,” reflecting the idea that the person is offered to the community to assist in its spiritual and apostolic work.

Outside of religious usage, the term's root appears in other languages and disciplines. In geometry and planetary science, the related adjective oblate describes a shape that is flattened at the poles, a concept common in descriptions of planets and other spheroids. In some Romance languages, cognate forms such as oblato can function as adjectives or nouns meaning oblate or oblate-shaped, with usage depending on the specific language. Thus, oblato primarily denotes a religious role in one tradition, while its linguistic relatives appear in scientific descriptors of oblate forms. See also oblates and oblate.