Home

laywoman

Laywoman is a term used to denote a woman who is not a member of a professional or clerical body. In religious contexts, laywomen are members of the laity who do not hold ordination or ecclesiastical office. In secular usage, the term can describe a non-professional or non-expert woman in a given field, as opposed to a credentialed professional. Because the word is gendered and increasingly uncommon, many writers prefer neutral alternatives when possible.

Modern English generally favors layperson or laypersons as a non-gendered alternative. The term laywoman remains in

Etymology: The word combines lay, meaning non-clerical or non-professional status, with woman. The concept stems from

historical
or
formal
documents
and
may
appear
in
discussions
of
church
history
or
texts
focusing
on
gendered
language.
The
related
term
laity
refers
to
all
non-ordained
members
of
a
religious
community,
regardless
of
gender,
while
layman
is
its
male
counterpart.
ecclesiastical
language;
laity
from
Latin
laicus,
and
layman/laywoman
are
gendered
forms
of
the
same
idea.
In
contemporary
usage,
laywoman
is
often
avoided
in
favor
of
gender-neutral
terms.