LAITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does laity mean? 

• LAITY (noun)
  The noun LAITY has 1 sense:

1. in Christianity, members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy

  Familiarity information: LAITY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LAITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In Christianity, members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

laity; temporalty

Hypernyms ("laity" is a kind of...):

hoi polloi; mass; masses; multitude; people; the great unwashed (the common people generally)

Meronyms (members of "laity"):

layman; layperson; secular (someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person)

Antonym:

clergy (in Christianity, clergymen collectively (as distinguished from the laity))

Derivation:

lay (characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy)

 Context examples 

Mr. Collins listened to her with the determined air of following his own inclination, and, when she ceased speaking, replied thus: My dear Miss Elizabeth, I have the highest opinion in the world in your excellent judgement in all matters within the scope of your understanding; but permit me to say, that there must be a wide difference between the established forms of ceremony amongst the laity, and those which regulate the clergy; for, give me leave to observe that I consider the clerical office as equal in point of dignity with the highest rank in the kingdom—provided that a proper humility of behaviour is at the same time maintained.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)