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
But the next pope will also lead a U.S. laity with some differences within it.
—
Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 7 May 2025
Kevin Cardinal Farrell headed the Vatican’s family and laity office and is currently the one tasked with running the Holy See in the interval between a pope’s death and the election of the next one.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 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
Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 7 May 2025
Kevin Cardinal Farrell headed the Vatican’s family and laity office and is currently the one tasked with running the Holy See in the interval between a pope’s death and the election of the next one.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 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
-
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, the shooter approached the outside of the church building in the morning and fired inside toward the children sitting in pews.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
While polls had shown religious youth plummeting nearly 20% from 2007 to 2024, by 2025, Gen-Z church attendance was ticking back up.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Living like a gentleman on the income from a not particularly prosperous parish, like her father did, involved a certain amount of keeping up appearances.—
Lucy Worsley
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Annunciation parish and school community is resuming some of its on-campus activities following a mass shooting that left two children dead and injured 17 people, one of whom is still hospitalized.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The elders sent a message to the Sovereign Grace Fellowship congregation about the arrest on Tuesday, Vanderwall told the Statesman.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Sep. 2025
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The undeniably, intimate congregation of a dozen people aims to foster friendship among people of different races, beliefs and backgrounds, while also breaking down stigmas about danger in the church’s neighborhood.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laity. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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