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

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for layperson

• chairperson
• salesperson
• businessperson
• person
• worsen

Kids Definition

layperson

noun

lay·​per·​son ˈlā-ˌpərs-ᵊn 

: a member of the laity