layperson

American  

[ley-pur-suhn] / ˈleɪˌpɜr sən /

noun

1. a person who is not a member of the clergy; one of the laity.

2. a person who is not a member of a given profession, as law or medicine.

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Usage

What does layperson mean? Layperson is used in a religious context to refer to a person who is a regular member of a religious congregation and not a member of the clergy—that is, a layperson is someone who is not a religious official like a priest.The term clergy collectively refers to people who have been ordained or otherwise serve as religious leaders or officials, such as priests, rabbis, and nuns. The plural of layperson is laypeople. In a religious context, laypeople can be collectively referred to as the laity.The word layman specifically refers to a man, but it is often used regardless of gender. However, layperson is truly gender-neutral.Layperson is perhaps even more commonly used outside of a religious context to refer to a person who is not a member of a particular profession or who is not an expert in or knowledgeable about a particular field. The phrase layperson’s terms means plain language that the average person can understand, as opposed to technical jargon that can only be understood by experts in the topic or those who are already familiar with it.When someone asks for an explanation in layperson’s terms, they want it to be as simple and straightforward as possible, so that it can be understood by a layperson—a nonexpert. The phrase layman’s terms means the same thing and is more commonly used.Example: She has built a career as a science writer by explaining complex topics in a way that is accessible to the layperson.

Gender

See -person.

Etymology

Origin of layperson

First recorded in 1970–75; lay(man) + -person

Example Sentences

Once in Kerala, the film whizzes through a checklist of things a layperson might associate with the tourist-favourite state - its famous backwaters, the ubiquitous coconut trees, toddy, elephants, and Onam, its most popular festival.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025

A layperson might mistake the job that swept her across the ocean as “bodyguard.”

From New York Times • Apr. 7, 2024

Today, you can still participate in ascetic acts—like firewalking, climbing a sword ladder in bare feet, and cold endurance—as a layperson at festivals, temples, or sacred sites.

From National Geographic • Jan. 19, 2024

That relationship was complex and perhaps illicit, and, like much else in this speculative financial world, too complicated for a layperson to understand.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2023

Prepared by the Presidents Advisory Committee on Science in March 1958 as a primer on spaceflight, the brochure laid out the scientific principles of travel beyond the Earth’s atmosphere in terms a layperson could understand.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly