laity

American  

[ley-i-tee] / ˈleɪ ɪ ti /

noun

1. the body of religious worshipers, as distinguished from the clergy.

2. the people outside of a particular profession, as distinguished from those belonging to it.

   the medical ignorance of the laity.

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laity British  

/ ˈleɪɪtɪ /

noun

1. laymen, as distinguished from clergymen

2. all people not of a specific occupation

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Usage

What does laity mean? Laity is used in a religious context to collectively refer to the group of people who are regular members of a religious congregation and not members of the clergy—that is, people who are not religious officials like priests. 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. Laity is a noun form of the adjective lay, which means belonging to, pertaining to, or performed by the people or laity, as distinguished from the clergy. Members of the laity can be called laypeople. The singular form of laypeople is layperson. The gender-specific terms layman and laywoman are also used, though layman is often used regardless of gender. Terms like layman, layperson, and laypeople are perhaps even more commonly used outside of a religious context to refer to people who are not members of a particular profession or who are not experts in or knowledgeable about a particular field. The related phrases layman’s terms and layperson’s terms refer to 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. However, laity is not usually used in this sense. Example: People tend to associate the church with priests, but the truth is that the biggest part of the church is the laity.

Etymology

Origin of laity

First recorded in 1535–45; lay ³ + -ity

Explanation

If you are a member of a religious group, but you are not an ordained minister or priest, then you are a member of the laity. Sometimes members of the laity will play a role in the church service, for example, doing one of the readings or running a youth group. The noun laity is from the word lay, and lay person has a similar church meaning. The word lay itself is from the Greek word laikos meaning "of the people." The meaning of the word laity is sometimes expanded to refer to non-professionals workers, as opposed to professionals in a field. Volunteers are the laity of elementary education, and if you volunteer at a school, you can make a huge difference in a child's life.

Example Sentences

“But in practice, at least among laity, but also many pastors, especially in fundamentalist and evangelical circles, there’s an unspoken understanding that it’s basically true.”

From Slate • Apr. 5, 2024

It’s a crisis that could be avoided if the archbishop would reverse course and engage the laity in the staffing and governance of parishes.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 8, 2023

More recently, he launched a global synod, or listening process, that encourages the laity to share their thoughts, dreams and hopes about the future of the church.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2023

The intense little group must articulate the church’s goals, interview ministerial candidates and present the best applicant to the laity.

From Washington Post • May 3, 2022

There were clerks with neat little skull-caps to keep their tonsures warm, dressed in sober clothes which contrasted with the laity.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• laymen