lay reader

noun

1
: a layperson authorized to conduct parts of the church services not requiring a priest or minister
2

Examples of lay reader in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An Accessible Writer Professor Kahneman propagated his findings with an appealing writing style, using illustrative vignettes with which even lay readers could engage. Robert D. Hershey Jr., New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024 In this elegant volume, equally valuable to specialists and lay readers, two lifelong scholars of First Amendment jurisprudence gather an array of experts to explore the problems presented by digital technology and their possible solutions. Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022 Graeber had mastered the art of pulling new research out of his home field and contextualizing it for the lay reader. Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2023 Willingham has the gift, not always common among academics and scholars, of speaking clearly and plainly to the lay reader. Peter Greene, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2022 To a lay reader, Olson’s story hovers between narcissism and fabulism by way of some crass stereotyping. Alex Perry, Outside Online, 24 July 2019 Her portrayals provide the lay reader with an anthropomorphic compass by which to better navigate the biology. Eugenia Bone, WSJ, 7 May 2021 Troy’s portrait of White House rivalries is essential reading for political junkies and lay readers alike. David Mark, Washington Examiner, 8 Mar. 2020 But soon after, lay readers like Marjorie Rice, a San Diego housewife with a high school math education, discovered new tessellating pentagon families beyond those known to Kershner. Quanta Magazine, 11 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lay reader.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lay reader was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near lay reader

Cite this Entry

“Lay reader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20reader. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

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