laypeople
Americanplural noun
Usage
What does laypeople mean? Laypeople is used in a religious context to refer to people who are regular members of a religious congregation and not members of the clergy—that is, laypeople are 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. The singular form of laypeople is layperson. 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. Laypeople is 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. 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 laypeople—nonexperts. Example: She has built a career as a science writer by explaining complex topics in a way that is accessible to laypeople.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These laypeople looking at the numbers often tout the “2.5 times” rule, suggesting box office revenue needs to be 2.5 times greater than the budget for a movie to break even.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
The first is an early breakdown initiated by Soul’s character, Tae Young, who explains the structured roles of a K-pop group, which may be fun for superfans and educational for laypeople to the genre.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Like most laypeople, you’re not in an authoritative position to judge the accuracy and thoroughness of your estate-planning documents.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 6, 2025
The great African apes, which includes gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos are renowned for their intelligence and fascinate both scientists and laypeople because of their physical and genetic similarities with humans.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2024
Today, China appears politically, culturally, and linguistically monolithic, at least to laypeople.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
