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layman definition

lay·man (lā′mən)

noun pl. laymen -·men (-mən)

  1. a member of the laity; person not a member of the clergy
  2. a person not belonging to or skilled in a given profession a medical textbook not for the layman

Etymology: lay + man

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

layman Synonyms

layman

n.

  1. One who does not make religion a profession

    secular, one of the laity, laic, catechumen, neophyte, proselyte, convert, parishioner, communicant, believer, one of the people, one of the flock, congregation; see also follower, member 1.

    Antonyms priest*, ecclesiastic*, cleric. *

  2. One who is not versed in a subject

    nonprofessional, novice, dilettante; see amateur, recruit.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

layman Usage Examples

Possessives

  • term: What, in layman's terms, is taper relief?

Converse of subject

  • understand: Create a clear picture that can be easily understood by the common layman.

Converse of object

  • educate: Yet he knows how to present the breathtaking discoveries to the educated layman in a grand overview from the quarks to the Universe.

Adjective modifier

  • intelligent: The writing is clear and aimed at the intelligent layman.
layman usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

layman quotes

Sociology is a new science concerning itself not with esoteric matters outside the comprehension of the layman, as the older sciences do, but with the ordinary affairs of ordinary people. This seems to engender in those who write about it a feeling that the lack of anyabstruseness in their subject matter demands a compensatoryabstruseness in their language. 365

-Gowers, Sir Ernest Arthur

layman quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"layman." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/layman>

APA Style

layman. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/layman

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