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

Investigators later determined the shooter fired more than 100 rounds from a rifle into the church.

— Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
And in 1911 a disgruntled ex-Mormon hid a camera under his coat and snapped surreptitious photos of the temple’s interior in an unsuccessful attempt to blackmail the church.

— Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of church

Noun

In surveillance video released by the Diocese of Brooklyn, the masked man violently hits the statue outside the church in what Catholic officials say is the latest in a string of attacks targeting the parish.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Organizations like El Centro de Servicios Sociales in Lorain, Ohio, for example, worked closely with Sacred Heart Chapel, a Catholic parish, when more than 200 Puerto Rican families arrived in the city after Hurricane María in September 2017.

— Gina Perez, The Conversation, 21 July 2026

Definition of parish

Noun

Montilus said many Haitian members of her congregation, legal or not, are afraid to leave their homes for church.

— Nathan Lee, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
As seen in Death of the Pastor’s Wife, John-Paul has continued his ministry and now preaches to a congregation of around 15 to 20 people in a series of pop-up services around Myrtle Beach.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of laity

noun

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