Synonyms of laity

laity

noun

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.

Related Words

• church
• parish
• congregation
• flock
• communion
• assembly
• denomination
• confession
• fold
• sect

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of laity

Casting contraception as a Christian concept was a remarkable—perhaps even radical—reformulation, and one to which the laity, as much as clergy and theologians, laid claim. — Literary Hub, 17 Apr. 2026

This United States Conference of Catholic Bishops call for an hour of prayer, which can be offered publicly or privately, went out to every bishop, priest and the laity, according to Rockford Diocese spokesperson Penny Wiegert. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Despite the bishops’ protests, the laity seems to be aligning more with the president than with their shepherds. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Dec. 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