as in amateur
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession
the discussion about investing was geared more to the layman than to the professional investor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of layman
The immaculate print appeared to this layman’s eye to look about as sharp as contemporary digital Imax, but with the celluloid origins and print adding additional richness.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
The Papal Gentlemen—laymen who attend to the Pope’s private needs and aid in his displays of hospitality and diplomacy—acted as pallbearers in black suits, carrying the unadorned wooden casket that held Francis’s body.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Last summer, at a press conference in Las Vegas, league commissioner Adam Silver was asked whether the new CBA, with all its attendant jargon, was making the league too difficult for the layman to follow.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
Ludacris praises Miller for his affable personality and his ability to explain things in layman’s terms.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layman
Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
The Papal Gentlemen—laymen who attend to the Pope’s private needs and aid in his displays of hospitality and diplomacy—acted as pallbearers in black suits, carrying the unadorned wooden casket that held Francis’s body.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
Last summer, at a press conference in Las Vegas, league commissioner Adam Silver was asked whether the new CBA, with all its attendant jargon, was making the league too difficult for the layman to follow.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
Ludacris praises Miller for his affable personality and his ability to explain things in layman’s terms.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layman
amateur
Noun
-
The only image from life to capture Austen’s face is this sketch made by her sister Cassandra, an averagely talented amateur.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The best professional investors of all time get it right maybe 55% of the time, so why wouldn’t amateurs shoot for low-probability/high-payout bets?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Layman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layman. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share