A person who is not trained or educated in a particular field or profession, or a non-clergy member in a religious context.
From Middle English, combining 'lay' (not ordained) from Old French 'lai' and the suffix '-man'; originally specifically meant a non-clergy person in a church.
The phrase 'in layman's terms' became huge in the 1900s as science advanced—experts realized they had to translate their discoveries for non-specialists, essentially inventing the concept of science communication.
The term 'layman' uses the male-generic 'man' suffix, reflecting historical exclusion of women from lay (non-clergy) intellectual discourse and professional expertise frameworks.
Use 'layperson' or specify context: 'non-expert,' 'someone outside the field,' 'lay reader,' or use gender-neutral plural 'lay people.'
["layperson","non-expert","lay people","lay reader"]
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