Layman Meaning
/ˈleɪmən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounLayperson, someone who is not an ordained cleric or member of the clergy.
nounSomeone who is not a professional in a given field.
Sentence Examples
That's a layman's idea.
Much legal language is obscure to a layman.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The technical manual was written for the average ____ to easily understand.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
To a ____ like me, the complex scientific equations on the board seemed like another language entirely today.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The layman, perhaps, is not fully aware to what extent even the popular reputations of scientists and scholars are made by that class and are inevitably affected by its views on subjects which have little to do with the merits of the real achievements."
— 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 419:
"should he be held to be just a layman, or does he have some art?"
— 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 221d:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The technical manual was written for the average ____ to easily understand.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
To a ____ like me, the complex scientific equations on the board seemed like another language entirely today.