as in church
the people of a religion who are not priests, ministers, etc.
a member of the laity The laity has played an important role in the history of the church.
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Recent Examples of laity
Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of laity in governance and decision making.
—
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
The laity were to be monogamous, the holy men celibate, and the actually divine would not even feel lust.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Catholic clerics and laity have faithfully gathered each night in St. Peter’s Square to recite the rosary for the sake of the pope, being led in their prayer by members of the College of Cardinals.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025
Bishops and laity grapple for control of papal agendas, and all grapple with the watershed reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), known as Vatican II.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laity
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
The laity were to be monogamous, the holy men celibate, and the actually divine would not even feel lust.
—S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
Catholic clerics and laity have faithfully gathered each night in St. Peter’s Square to recite the rosary for the sake of the pope, being led in their prayer by members of the College of Cardinals.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025
Bishops and laity grapple for control of papal agendas, and all grapple with the watershed reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), known as Vatican II.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laity
Noun
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The company partners with senior living centers, churches, and insurance providers to offer on-site classes, giving accessibility to those who may not have the resources or mobility to visit a gym.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Fact to know: In collaboration with the Dilworth Historic Commission, the project team used traditional materials and techniques — including the help of a master stonemason with access to original quarries — to ensure consistency with the church’s limestone facade.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Diocese said that at this time there is no indication any children at the parish or Ozark Catholic Academy -- a four-year private high school that operates adjacent to the church -- have been involved.—
Ron Wood,
Arkansas Online,
14 Apr. 2025
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The parish has been reduced by nearly half its original size in the last century.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Clergy such as Ruiz, who arrived to the United States as a teen, are now shepherding their congregations through the fear of such crackdowns.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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The air is thick, the landscape breathtaking, and Ryan Coogler drops us in the middle of it all as a young Sammie (Miles Caton) wanders, haunted, into his preacher father's congregation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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