as in church
the people of a religion who are not priests, ministers, etc.
a member of the laity The laity has played an important role in the history of the church.
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Recent Examples of laity
Young Catholics penned an open letter reminding cardinals that there is no church without young people, women and the laity.
—
Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
But the next pope will also lead a U.S. laity with some differences within it.
—Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 7 May 2025
Francis expanded the College of Cardinals beyond the large dioceses and archdioceses to create geographic and cultural diversity and to better represent the makeup of the laity and where the church is growing.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
As during the Protestant Reformation, the theological divide has extended beyond the clergy to the laity and the common faithful in the pew.
—Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018
See All Example Sentences for laity
Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
But the next pope will also lead a U.S. laity with some differences within it.
—Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 7 May 2025
Francis expanded the College of Cardinals beyond the large dioceses and archdioceses to create geographic and cultural diversity and to better represent the makeup of the laity and where the church is growing.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
As during the Protestant Reformation, the theological divide has extended beyond the clergy to the laity and the common faithful in the pew.
—Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018
See All Example Sentences for laity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laity
Noun
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Elsewhere, the election commissioner in Virginia said that a church that had been scheduled to serve as a polling location in Newport News was closed after a vehicle ran through the building on Saturday.—
Lucien Bruggeman,
ABC News,
4 Nov. 2025
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But Wolfgang Rothe — a priest and scholar of canon law — says this charge is often pitted at critics within the church.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Stephen moved to Argyle Mountain in the parish of Westmoreland to enjoy his final years.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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And their reach now goes far beyond the parish; the nuns now have their own Instagram account, currently with 70,000 followers.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The sisters hope the land transfer will serve as a model for Catholic congregations for future reconciliations with tribal nations.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The organization has announced plans to create thousands of new chapters and is cultivating new partnerships with pastors and congregations.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laity. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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