layman

American  

[ley-muhn] / ˈleɪ mən /

noun

plural

laymen

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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layman British  

/ ˈleɪmən /

noun

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

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

   science for the layman

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Usage

What does layman mean? Layman 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 layman 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. People who are not part of the clergy can be called laypeople or collectively referred to as the laity.Layman and its plural form laymen specifically refer to men but are often used regardless of gender. However, the truly gender-neutral term layperson is also commonly used.Layman 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. This sense of the word is used in the phrase layman’s terms, which 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 layman’s terms, they want it to be as simple and straightforward as possible, so that it can be understood by laymen—nonexperts.Example: She has built a career as a science writer by explaining complex topics in a way that is accessible to the layman.

Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of layman

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; lay ³, man

Example Sentences

Savvy AI companies or a forward-thinking law firm will then learn enough to replace lawyers with a $99-a-month online service to guide laymen through divorce, custody and many other disputes.

From The Wall Street Journal

During his presentation, McClellan broke down key film concepts in layman’s terms for the diverse audience who were mostly composed of film lovers and people who were simply interested in the topic.

From Los Angeles Times

Immersing your body in cold water causes a stress response, known as “survival mode” or in layman’s terms, “Get me out!”

From The Wall Street Journal

The need for O'Neill to explain the concessions in such layman terms speaks volumes.

From BBC

“To me, as a layman and a couch athlete, the ability to throw a ball at 100 mph and then go out and hit three home runs?”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• parishioner