Added 9 October 2026
layman
/ˈleɪmən/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about layman at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Layperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy.
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Someone who is not a professional in a given field.
Carmen is not a professional anthropologist, but strictly a layman.
- A common person.
Origin
From Middle English layman, lay man, equivalent to lay (“non-clergy”) + man. Cognate with Old Frisian lēkmann, lēkmonn (“layman”), obsolete Dutch leekeman (“layman”), Old High German leihman (“layman”), Danish lægmand (“layman”), Swedish lekman (“layman”), Norwegian lekmann (“layman”), Icelandic leikmaður (“layman”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)