Layman

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪmÉ™n

Origin

From Middle English lay + man

Full definition of layman

Noun

1. layperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy
2. by analogy, someone who is not a professional in a given fieldCarmen is not a professional anthropologist, but strictly a layman.Let me explain it to you in layman's terms.
3. a common person
4. a person who is untrained or lacks knowledge of a subject
• 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. .should he be held to be just a layman, or does he have some art?
5. a generally ignorant person
6. lay-sister or lay-brother, person received into a convent of monks, following the vows, but not being member of the order

Antonyms

• expert
• specialist
• professional

Derived terms

• in layman's terms

Related terms

• laity