laity
laity Lexical Profile
laity Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The ordinary members of a religious community or congregation, as distinguished from its ordained clergy.
"The bishop encouraged greater participation from the laity in parish administration and charitable outreach."
All the people who are not qualified professionals or specialized experts in a given field, such as medicine, law, or science.
"The medical journal published a plain-language summary to make the complex clinical findings accessible to the laity."
Word Nuance & Usage
Usually preceded by 'the' and treated as a collective noun taking either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is viewed as a single unit or as individuals.
• Rhymes for laity
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 16th century from the adjective 'lay' and the suffix '-ity', modeled on the Old French 'laïté', ultimately deriving from the Ancient Greek 'laikos' (of the people), from 'laos' (people).