layman
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layman¹
- /ˈleɪmən/
Rhymes with -eɪmən
Where it comes from
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”).
noun laymen
- Layperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy.
-
Someone who is not a professional in a given field.
Carmen is not a professional anthropologist, but strictly a layman.
Opposite: professional
- A common person.
-
A person who is untrained or lacks knowledge of a subject.
should he be held to be just a layman, or does he have some art?
Opposite: expert, specialist
- Lay-sister or lay-brother, person received into a convent of monks, following the vows, but not being member of the order.
Layman²
proper noun Laymans
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun someone who is not an ordained cleric
| Español | laico, lego |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 俗人 zokujin, 平信徒 hirashinto |
| 中文 | 俗家 sújiā, 平信徒 píngxìntú |
| Português | laico, leigo |
| Français | laïc |
| Deutsch | Laie, Laiin |
| Italiano | laico, profano |
| Ελληνικά | λαϊκός laïkós |
| Русский | миря́нин mirjánin |
noun someone who is not a professional in a given field
| Español | profano, lego, aficionado |
|---|---|
| Português | profano, leigo |
| Français | profane |
| Deutsch | Laie |
| Italiano | profano |
| Ελληνικά | ερασιτέχνης erasitéchnis, ερασιτέχνις erasitéchnis |
| Русский | люби́тель ljubítelʹ, дилета́нт diletánt, неспециали́ст nespecialíst, профа́н profán |
| עברית | הדיוט hedyot |
Talk about this word "layman." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/layman. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. layman. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/layman "layman." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/layman.Cite this
@misc{layman_2026,
title = {layman},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/layman},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
