layman

[ ley-muhn ]

/ ˈleɪ mən /

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See synonyms for: layman / laymen on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural lay·men.

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

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of layman

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; see origin at lay³, man

usage note for layman

See -man.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use layman in a sentence

I was privileged enough to view facilities laymen rarely visit.
Writing a Novel: Even Making It Up Requires Research|Ridley Pearson|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But, legal value not being the only value, let us now consider the evidence as mere laymen.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
His stay in Limerick was particularly successful, and he founded a religious confraternity of laymen which numbered 5000 members.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
I conjectured he must be a priest, the priests in Germany being accustomed to dress exactly in the same style as laymen.
My Ten Years' Imprisonment|Silvio Pellico

Doubtless; you know well there were more than a hundred laymen listening to your discourse.
Chicot the Jester|Alexandre Dumas, Pere
The stuff is such an evident fraud that one would imagine that even intelligent laymen could not be deceived by it.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for layman

layman

/ (ˈleɪmən) /

noun plural -men

a man who is not a member of the clergy

a person who does not have specialized or professional knowledge of a subjectscience for the layman

Gender-neutral form: layperson

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

layman

Origin of layman

usage note for layman

Words related to layman

How to use layman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for layman