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Synonyms

lay person

British  

noun

  1. a person who is not a member of the clergy

  2. a person who does not have specialized or professional knowledge of a subject

    a lay person's guide to conveyancing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

The meaning is not something that a lay person can necessarily intuit.

From Salon Sep. 8, 2025

"These forms are really difficult to navigate as a lawyer, so for a lay person I can see how it would be quite terrifying," she added.

From BBC Mar. 13, 2025

These publications are written so a lay person can understand them with ease.

From Seattle Times Jan. 16, 2023

"I also express my pain and shock over the killing in Mexico the day before yesterday of two religious brothers of mine, Jesuits, and one lay person," Francis said.

From Reuters Jun. 22, 2022

Until that time there is no lay person so well qualified to teach children as their own intelligent fathers and mothers.

From The Good Housekeeping Marriage Book by William F. (William Frederick) Bigelow

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