Thesaurus results for LAITY

laity

noun

Definition of laity

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of laity Casting contraception as a Christian concept was a remarkable—perhaps even radical—reformulation, and one to which the laity, as much as clergy and theologians, laid claim. — Literary Hub, 17 Apr. 2026 This United States Conference of Catholic Bishops call for an hour of prayer, which can be offered publicly or privately, went out to every bishop, priest and the laity, according to Rockford Diocese spokesperson Penny Wiegert. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026 Despite the bishops’ protests, the laity seems to be aligning more with the president than with their shepherds. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Dec. 2025 As during the Protestant Reformation, the theological divide has extended beyond the clergy to the laity and the common faithful in the pew. — Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018 See All Example Sentences for laity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laity

Noun

Until a 1917 church law was revised in 1983, those who died by suicide were denied Catholic burials on consecrated grounds.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
The reconstruction of one of the nation's oldest Black churches, where congregants gathered in secret before building a meeting house in Virginia, was celebrated Friday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of church

Noun

The hotel works with a local Franciscan friar from Ravello, Friar Marcus, to introduce interested guests to the chapel, or whisk them on tours of Ravello, his local parish (and the home of Villas Cimbrone and Rufolo).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The parish maintains such admissions would violate church's right to the free exercise of religion.

— Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of parish

Noun

Since then, the 16-foot-by-32-foot church has been reconstructed, after archaeologists in 2021 uncovered the church’s original foundation, as well as 62 graves linked to the congregation.

— Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
On Friday, the event began with a procession symbolizing the ways the historic congregation has continued a multigenerational fight for education, faith, and freedom.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of congregation

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laities

laity

lake

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“Laity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laity. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of laity

noun

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