layperson

noun

lay·​per·​son ˈlā-ˌpər-sᵊn 

plural laypeople ˈlā-ˌpē-pəl  also laypersons

1

: a member of the laity (see laity sense 1)

It [the Vatican] permitted groups of laypeople to apply to their local bishop and, after affirming loyalty to Vatican II, receive an indult allowing limited celebration of the 1962 missal.

—Peter Jeffrey

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha will award the Marian Medal to 79 laypersons from parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese …

—Mansfield (Massachusetts) News

2

: a person who does not belong to a particular profession or who is not expert or versed in some field

Intended for the layperson, this book uses straightforward language to aid in identifying more than 500 medicinal plants.

—Mark Blumenthal

Technically, it's called "Ultimate," but most laypeople need the "Frisbee" attached to make an association.

—Joe Miller

Examples of layperson in a Sentence

a meeting between clergy and laypeople

Recent Examples on the Web

Dental personnel can use these tools to magnify on the computer screen the problem areas so they can be pointed out to a layperson. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2024

The fields of law and insurance are extremely complicated for the layperson, with documents full of terms and concepts that may as well be a foreign language to those unfamiliar with them. —Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024

To have a follower recount a feat of superhuman strength, or even an apparition, is hard for a layperson to fathom but has the advantage of having happened in the past and out of the view of nonbelievers. —Michelle Weber, Longreads, 8 Nov. 2024

These are unfathomable numbers for the layperson, but for an economist, these portend an upward trend that places a significant burden on both the government and individuals. —Shakeel Ahmed, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

layperson

noun

lay·​per·​son ˈlā-ˌpərs-ᵊn 

: a member of the laity