1
: a person who is not a member of the clergy
The parish council consisted of both clergy and laymen.
2
: a person who does not belong to a particular profession or who is not expert in some field
For a layman, he knows a lot about the law.
Did you know?
Layman is a closed compound of lay man. Lay is an adjective that means "of or relating to the people of a religious faith (but not of its clergy)." The origins of lay and layman go back to Greek laikos, meaning "of the people." Layman was originally used to distinguish between non-clerical people and the clergy before being used to distinguish non-professionals from professionals in a field (such as law or medicine).
Examples of layman in a Sentence
For a layman, he knows a lot about the law.
He's an important layman in his church.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ludacris praises Miller for his affable personality and his ability to explain things in layman’s terms.
—
Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
In layman’s terms, this means that DEB uses plant sugars and natural enzymes to create biobased materials (such as biopolymers) in eco-friendly conditions.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Apr. 2025
Helping scientists and laymen alike To run a quantum simulation for a molecule, researchers have to determine the solute molecule’s geometry and the solvent molecules’ orientation.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025
Cap teams up with fellow Avenger Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and new friend Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), an Air Force vet trained for aerial combat using what’s perhaps best described to a layman as a combination of wings and a jetpack.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layman
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Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
In layman’s terms, this means that DEB uses plant sugars and natural enzymes to create biobased materials (such as biopolymers) in eco-friendly conditions.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Apr. 2025
Helping scientists and laymen alike To run a quantum simulation for a molecule, researchers have to determine the solute molecule’s geometry and the solvent molecules’ orientation.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025
Cap teams up with fellow Avenger Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and new friend Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), an Air Force vet trained for aerial combat using what’s perhaps best described to a layman as a combination of wings and a jetpack.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layman
Cite this Entry
“Layman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layman. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
layman
noun
lay·man
ˈlā-mən 
: a person who is not a member of the clergy or a member of a particular profession
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