laywoman

American  

[ley-woom-uhn] / ˈleɪˌwʊm ən /

noun

plural

laywomen

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

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

---

laywoman British  

/ ˈleɪwʊmən /

noun

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

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

   a guide for the laywoman

---

Usage

What does laywoman mean? Laywoman 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 laywoman 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.The word layman is more commonly used. It specifically refers to a man but is often used regardless of gender. The gender-neutral term layperson is also commonly used.Laywoman is also sometimes used outside of a religious context to refer to a woman who is not a member of a particular profession or who is not an expert in or knowledgeable about a particular field. The word layman is also used in this way 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.Example: I’m a laywoman, not an expert, but I’ve researched the topic thoroughly enough to have a grasp of it.

Gender

See -woman.

Etymology

Origin of laywoman

First recorded in 1520–30; lay ³ + woman