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
And again, there were a lot of medical professionals, or at least those who were trained to be there at the marathon, and laypersons, too, who just knew what to do, who placed tourniquets on immediately.
—Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025
The layperson tends to assume that a precise and fully calculable means exists to produce a mental health diagnosis to an ironclad nth degree.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
To the layperson, this wall would appear essentially blank and completely devoid of hand or footholds.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 11 Apr. 2025
With minimal time and a layperson’s knowledge of accounting and investing, many people would welcome new, more sophisticated technology tools to help smooth essential transactions and facilitate smarter financial decisions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layperson
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Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025
The layperson tends to assume that a precise and fully calculable means exists to produce a mental health diagnosis to an ironclad nth degree.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
To the layperson, this wall would appear essentially blank and completely devoid of hand or footholds.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 11 Apr. 2025
With minimal time and a layperson’s knowledge of accounting and investing, many people would welcome new, more sophisticated technology tools to help smooth essential transactions and facilitate smarter financial decisions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 Feb. 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 6 May. 2025.
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layperson
noun
lay·per·son
ˈlā-ˌpərs-ᵊn
: a member of the laity
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