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# laity

noun (the laity; plural, used with «the»)

«laity» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (church) The ordinary members of a church who are not priests, ministers or clergy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#m1)
2. People who are not experts in a subject. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#m2)

### In the lessons

In church life lessons: the clergy (priests, vicars, ministers) lead services; the laity are the ordinary churchgoers, who can also read the Bible aloud, sing and help. Adjective: «lay» (a lay reader, a lay preacher). Phrases: «the clergy and the laity».

### Examples

- The bishop met with the clergy and the laity. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x1)
- Members of the laity read the Bible readings on Sunday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x2)
- My grandmother is a lay reader, one of the laity who helps lead services. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x3)
- The laity helped organise the church fete. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x4)
- Science books for the laity explain things simply. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x5)
- Both clergy and laity sang in the choir. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/#x6)

### Note

Usually «the laity», treated as plural or singular. A «layman» or «layperson» is one member. Pronounced LAY-i-tee. Not about «laying» anything.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «laity» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/laity/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«laity» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/laity.html) on Mova free.