layperson
noun
lay·per·son
ˈlā-ˌpər-sᵊn 
plural laypeople
ˈlā-ˌpē-pəl
also laypersons
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
Peter JeffreyBishop Edgar M. da Cunha will award the Marian Medal to 79 laypersons from parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese …—Mansfield (Massachusetts) News
Mansfield (Massachusetts) News2
: 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
Mark BlumenthalTechnically, it's called "Ultimate," but most laypeople need the "Frisbee" attached to make an association.—Joe Miller
Joe MillerExamples of layperson in a Sentence
a meeting between clergy and laypeople
Recent Examples on the Web
Here’s what everyone, from professional astrobiologists to laypersons, ought to know.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025
Why OpenAI wants massive computing power The kind of numbers OpenAI and friends throw around—10 gigawatts here, $500 billion there—are somewhat staggering and mind-boggling in scope for the layperson who might not be familiar with the massive scale of Internet infrastructure.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
By now, even the layperson understands that artificial intelligence data is a garbage-in-garbage-out conundrum.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
In layperson’s terms, a will is a legal document that dictates where your assets will be distributed upon your death.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layperson
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025
Why OpenAI wants massive computing power The kind of numbers OpenAI and friends throw around—10 gigawatts here, $500 billion there—are somewhat staggering and mind-boggling in scope for the layperson who might not be familiar with the massive scale of Internet infrastructure.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
By now, even the layperson understands that artificial intelligence data is a garbage-in-garbage-out conundrum.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
In layperson’s terms, a will is a legal document that dictates where your assets will be distributed upon your death.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layperson
Cite this Entry
“Layperson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layperson. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
layperson
noun
lay·per·son
ˈlā-ˌpərs-ᵊn
: a member of the laity
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share