What does "laical" mean?
Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople, i.e. the laity in general.
Laical
/ˈleɪ.ɪkəl/ adj
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople, i.e. the laity in general.
- Grammar: laical is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: civil, lay, nonreligious, popular.
- Usage evidence: One of the most important of these results was the emergence of the laical intellectual,' and hence of laical science. We may distinguish developments of three different kinds. First, there always had been laical physicians and lawyers; but in the Renaissance they began to crowd out the clerical element. Second, starting from their professional needs and problems, laical artists and craftsmen — there was really no sociological distinction between them — began to develop a fund of tooled knowledge (for example, in anatomy, perspective, mechanics) that was an important source of modern science but grew up outside of scholastic university science: such a figure as Leonardo da Vinci will illustrate this point; and the figure of Galileo will illustrate another point, namely, how this kind of development produced the laical physicist. It had its analogue in economics; the businessman and civil servant, also starting like the artist craftsman from his practical needs and problems, began to develop a fund of economic knowledge. . . . . .The word "laical" has been chosen after some hesitation. 'Secular' would not do because it derives another connotation from the distinction: secular clergy — regular clergy. 'Laymen's science' conflicts with our use of the term layman (a man not trained in scientific method). 'Laicist' conveys the idea of an antagonism to the Church (cf., for instance, the phrases 'laicist state' or 'laicism'). So "laical" will have to serve in order to denote people or any activity (scientific or propagandist) of people who are not in holy orders. The noun shall be "laics". There is a more serious difficulty, however. On the one hand, the educational system of the Catholic Church proved so strong that many laical intellectuals continued to be shaped by it. Many of them retained habits of mind that did not differ essentially from those of the intellectuals in holy orders. On the other hand, an increasing number of the latter renounced allegiance to the scholastic system of thought as completely as any laic could have done: Erasmus of Rotterdam (1467-1536) affords an early instance.
How to use "laical"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "laical" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "laical" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "laical" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "laical" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "civil" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople, i.e. the laity in general.
"Laical literature."
Example
"One of the most important of these results was the emergence of the laical intellectual,' and hence of laical science. We may distinguish developments of three different kinds. First, there always had been laical physicians and lawyers; but in the Renaissance they began to crowd out the clerical element. Second, starting from their professional needs and problems, laical artists and craftsmen — there was really no sociological distinction between them — began to develop a fund of tooled knowledge (for example, in anatomy, perspective, mechanics) that was an important source of modern science but grew up outside of scholastic university science: such a figure as Leonardo da Vinci will illustrate this point; and the figure of Galileo will illustrate another point, namely, how this kind of development produced the laical physicist. It had its analogue in economics; the businessman and civil servant, also starting like the artist craftsman from his practical needs and problems, began to develop a fund of economic knowledge. . . . . .The word "laical" has been chosen after some hesitation. 'Secular' would not do because it derives another connotation from the distinction: secular clergy — regular clergy. 'Laymen's science' conflicts with our use of the term layman (a man not trained in scientific method). 'Laicist' conveys the idea of an antagonism to the Church (cf., for instance, the phrases 'laicist state' or 'laicism'). So "laical" will have to serve in order to denote people or any activity (scientific or propagandist) of people who are not in holy orders. The noun shall be "laics". There is a more serious difficulty, however. On the one hand, the educational system of the Catholic Church proved so strong that many laical intellectuals continued to be shaped by it. Many of them retained habits of mind that did not differ essentially from those of the intellectuals in holy orders. On the other hand, an increasing number of the latter renounced allegiance to the scholastic system of thought as completely as any laic could have done: Erasmus of Rotterdam (1467-1536) affords an early instance."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "laical"?
Common synonyms include: civil, lay, nonreligious, popular, secular, temporal.
How do you use "laical" in a sentence?
One of the most important of these results was the emergence of the laical intellectual,' and hence of laical science. We may distinguish developments of three different kinds. First, there always had been laical physicians and lawyers; but in the Renaissance they began to crowd out the clerical element. Second, starting from their professional needs and problems, laical artists and craftsmen — there was really no sociological distinction between them — began to develop a fund of tooled knowledge (for example, in anatomy, perspective, mechanics) that was an important source of modern science but grew up outside of scholastic university science: such a figure as Leonardo da Vinci will illustrate this point; and the figure of Galileo will illustrate another point, namely, how this kind of development produced the laical physicist. It had its analogue in economics; the businessman and civil servant, also starting like the artist craftsman from his practical needs and problems, began to develop a fund of economic knowledge. . . . . .The word "laical" has been chosen after some hesitation. 'Secular' would not do because it derives another connotation from the distinction: secular clergy — regular clergy. 'Laymen's science' conflicts with our use of the term layman (a man not trained in scientific method). 'Laicist' conveys the idea of an antagonism to the Church (cf., for instance, the phrases 'laicist state' or 'laicism'). So "laical" will have to serve in order to denote people or any activity (scientific or propagandist) of people who are not in holy orders. The noun shall be "laics". There is a more serious difficulty, however. On the one hand, the educational system of the Catholic Church proved so strong that many laical intellectuals continued to be shaped by it. Many of them retained habits of mind that did not differ essentially from those of the intellectuals in holy orders. On the other hand, an increasing number of the latter renounced allegiance to the scholastic system of thought as completely as any laic could have done: Erasmus of Rotterdam (1467-1536) affords an early instance.
How do you pronounce "laical"?
Pronounced /ˈleɪ.ɪkəl/.