layman

American  

[ley-muhn] / ˈleɪ mən /

noun

plural

laymen

1. a person who is not a member of the clergy; one of the laity.

2. a person who is not a member of a given profession, as law or medicine.

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layman British  

/ ˈleɪmən /

noun

1. a man who is not a member of the clergy

2. a person who does not have specialized or professional knowledge of a subject

   science for the layman

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Usage

What does layman mean? Layman is used in a religious context to refer to a person who is a regular member of a religious congregation and not a member of the clergy—that is, a layman is someone who is not a religious official like a priest. The term clergy collectively refers to people who have been ordained or otherwise serve as religious leaders or officials, such as priests, rabbis, and nuns. People who are not part of the clergy can be called laypeople or collectively referred to as the laity. Layman and its plural form laymen specifically refer to men but are often used regardless of gender. However, the truly gender-neutral term layperson is also commonly used. Layman is perhaps even more commonly used outside of a religious context to refer to a person who is not a member of a particular profession or who is not an expert in or knowledgeable about a particular field. This sense of the word is used in the phrase layman’s terms, which means plain language that the average person can understand, as opposed to technical jargon that can only be understood by experts in the topic or those who are already familiar with it. When someone asks for an explanation in layman’s terms, they want it to be as simple and straightforward as possible, so that it can be understood by laymen—nonexperts. Example: She has built a career as a science writer by explaining complex topics in a way that is accessible to the layman.

Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of layman

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; see origin at lay ³, man

Explanation

A layman might have a small amount of knowledge about something, but she isn't officially trained in the subject. If you need brain surgery, don't consult a layman; stick to a professional brain surgeon. Use the noun layman to describe your brother, who is an amateur bird watcher rather than a professional ornithologist. The word layman is most often used to contrast with expert or professional. Another way to use it is to distinguish between a member of the clergy — a priest or minister, for example — and an ordinary church member, or layman.

Example Sentences

His voice throughout is that of a well-informed, open-minded layman who, almost by the way, is a natural storyteller.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

If all this seems amazing to a layman, it is equally implausible to people in the sport because no one ever did it before.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2024

To the layman, a self-propelled howitzer looks like a tank, but it has a bigger, 155mm gun to fire at longer range.

From Salon • May 19, 2024

“Even for the layman… from talking to friends and family members, they’ve heard of Notre Dame,” said McQuaid, who founded the Pro Football Ireland podcast.

From Washington Times • Aug. 22, 2023

In reality, there is no sharp break, no difference in kind, between the expert and the layman, only a difference in degree.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Related Words

• parishioner