layperson
/ˈleɪpəːs(ə)n
/noun (plural laypeople or laypersons)
1A non-ordained member of a Church: theologians and laypeople alike have debated the meaning behind the rich allegory and symbolism...
- The church, through its nuns, priests, and laypeople, positions itself in direct opposition to tyranny and oppression.
- The curriculum sets up a false opposition between a literate (or Latinate) clergy and the illiterate laypeople.
- Textual and visual sources alike indicate that the passage of laypeople through the screen to participate in services in the choir was hardly a rarity.
Synonyms
unordained person, member of the congregation, parishioner;
layman, laywoman
2A person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject: his highly successful lectures were meant for an audience of laypersons interested in the natural sciences...
- She has an affinity for reduction prints, which, to the layperson, seem inconceivably complex.
- This is a time-honoured comedy, which, in layperson's terms, means old-fashioned.
- This is a fine introduction to network theorizing for any layperson interested in keeping up with new developments in science.