laymanlay‧man /ˈleɪmən/ noun (plural laymen /-mən/) [countable] 
To the layman (=laymen in general) all these plants look pretty similar. If you don’t understand what the doctor says, ask to have it explained in layman’s terms (=in simple language).2someone who is not a priest but is a member of a church
Longman Language Activatornot knowing about something
someone who is ignorant does not know facts or information that they should know: · I didn't like to ask him to explain more clearly because I didn't want to appear ignorant.ignorant of: · There are still doctors who are ignorant of patients' rights, or who try to deny them.ignorant about: · I'm very ignorant about politics.
when someone does not know facts or information that they should know: · I haven't read your latest book, so I hope you'll forgive my ignorance.ignorance of: · He showed complete ignorance of the most basic historical facts.
people or opinions that are uninformed show a lack of knowledge and information about the subject that they are discussing: · Careless or uninformed decisions during these huge storms can lead to loss of life and property.uninformed about: · The Vice-President gave the impression of being remarkably uninformed about South American affairs.
not knowing much about something or making mistakes about it because you have been given incorrect or not enough information: · He's either a liar or he's incredibly ill-informed.· Writers such as Oscar Wilde were the target of ill-informed and often hostile criticism simply because they were gay.ill-informed about: · For someone who wants to be a journalist, she's remarkably ill-informed about current affairs.
someone who has no special knowledge about a subject such as science or medicine, as opposed to people who have special knowledge or training: · Professor Hawking's book is intended for the lay person who has an interest in the field of nuclear physics and astronomy.in layman's terms (=using words a layman can understand): · Many superb doctors are incapable of communicating in layman's terms.
the language used by a particular group of people the kind of words used by people in a particular job or activity: legal/medical/business etc language: · Books about physics are usually written in highly technical language.· People often find the medical language used by doctors confusing.the language of something: · a fascinating article about the language of baseball
the special words that people working in science, medicine, the law etc use to describe things: · It is important that lawyers use the correct terminology when they prepare contracts.scientific/linguistic/computer etc terminology: · It was an interesting programme, which gave the facts without using too much scientific terminology.
words used by people who do a particular job or who are interested in a particular subject, which are difficult for ordinary people to understand: · When you first learn about computers, there is a whole lot of jargon to understand.management/legal/medical/computer jargon: · I hate all this management jargon about 'upskilling' and 'downsizing'.
informal words that are used by specific groups of people, for example soldiers or prisoners: army/soldiers'/prison etc slang: · 'Doolally', meaning 'crazy', is 19th century soldiers' slang, and comes from the name of an Indian town.
not using special, technical words that are hard to understand: · I want a book that will explain to me in layman's terms how my computer works.
: management/boardroom/PR etc -speak a type of language and the words used by managers etc - use this especially to talk about a way of speaking that you think is silly or unnecessarily different from normal language: · "What on earth does he mean, 'window'?" "Oh, that's management-speak for 'opportunity'."· Her email was so full of corporate-speak, you hardly realized that what she was saying was that we were all fired.
WORD SETSacolyte, nounafterlife, nounagnostic, nounangel, nounanimism, nounanoint, verbapostasy, nounapostate, nounarchangel, nounbelieve, verbbeliever, nounbell-ringer, nounbless, verbblessed, adjectiveblessing, nouncelebrant, nounChristian Science, nouncircumcise, verbcircumcision, nouncommunion, nounconfession, nounconvent, nounconversion, nounconvert, nouncoreligionist, nouncowl, nouncredo, nouncreed, nouncult, noundaemon, nounDecalogue, noundefrock, verbdeism, noundenomination, noundenominational, adjectivedevotee, noundevotion, noundevotional, adjectivedevout, adjectivedivine, adjectivedivinity, noundruid, nounfaith, nounfast day, nounfeast, nounfervour, nounfiesta, nounfollow, verbfrankincense, noungentile, noungod, noungoddess, noungrace, nounhabit, nounhair shirt, nounhallelujah, interjectionhallowed, adjectivehalo, nounheathen, adjectiveheathen, nounheaven, nounheavenly, adjectivehell, nounheresy, nounheretic, nounhermit, nounhermitage, nounheterodox, adjectivehigh priest, nounidol, nounidolatry, nounincarnation, nounincense, nouninfidel, nounintercession, nouninvocation, nouninvoke, verbirreligious, adjective-ism, suffixlayman, nounlaywoman, nounlibation, nounliturgical, adjectiveliturgy, nounmartyr, nounmartyr, verbmeditate, verbmeditation, nounmission, nounmonastery, nounmonastic, adjectivemonk, nounmonotheism, nounMoonie, nounMormon, nounMosaic, adjectivemystery play, nounmystic, nounmystical, adjectivemysticism, nounneophyte, nounnovice, nounnovitiate, nounnuminous, adjectivenun, nounnunnery, nounoblation, nounobservance, nounoffering, nounOlympian, adjectiveordain, verborder, nounorthodox, adjectiveotherworldly, adjectivepagan, adjectivepagan, nounpantheism, nounpantheon, nounParsee, nounpilgrim, nounpilgrimage, nounpious, adjectivepluralism, nounpolytheism, nounpractise, verbpray, verbprayer, nounprayer wheel, nounpreach, verbpreacher, nounpriest, nounpriestess, nounpriesthood, nounpriestly, adjectiveprophet, nounprophetess, nounpurify, verbRasta, nounRastafarian, nounRastaman, nounRE, nounrecant, verbreincarnation, nounreligious, adjectivereligiously, adverbreliquary, nounrepent, verbretreat, nounrevelation, nounrevivalism, nounrite, nounritual, nounsacred, adjectivesacrifice, nounsacrifice, verbsacrificial, adjectivesanctify, verbsanctity, nounsanctuary, nounsanctum, nounsatanism, nounscripture, nounsect, nounsectarian, adjectiveservice, nounshaman, nounShinto, nounshrine, nounsin, nounsin, verbsinful, adjectivesinner, nounsoul, nounspirit, nounspiritual, adjectivespiritualism, nounspirituality, nounSr, sun god, nounsuppliant, nounsupplicant, nounsupplication, nounSupreme Being, nounTao, nounTaoism, nountemple, nountenet, nounthanksgiving, nountheism, nountheo-, prefixtheocracy, nountheologian, nountheological college, nountheology, nountonsure, nountranscendental, adjectivetranscendental meditation, nountransmigration, noununbelief, noununbeliever, nounungodly, adjectiveunholy, adjectiveunorthodox, adjectivevisionary, nounvoodoo, nounvotary, nounworship, verbworship, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY To the layman (=laymen in general) all these plants look pretty similar. If you don’t understand what the doctor says, ask to have it explained in layman’s terms (=in simple language).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1someone who is not trained in a particular subject or type of work, especially when they are being compared with someone who is OPP expert: To the layman (=laymen in general) all these plants look pretty similar. If you don’t understand what the doctor says, ask to have it explained in layman’s terms (=in simple language). (=using ordinary words, not technical words)· Can you explain to me in layman’s terms how my computer works?
To the layman (=laymen in general) all these plants look pretty similar. If you don’t understand what the doctor says, ask to have it explained in layman’s terms (=in simple language).2someone who is not a priest but is a member of a church