Laicisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A secular expression or term originating from a non-religious context, often used to describe a civil approach to topics traditionally tied to faith
2. Elements of language or terminology that reflect a non-clerical or lay perspective, distinguishing them from ecclesiastical expressions
3. Words or phrases that arise from secular society, often emphasizing a worldly rather than spiritual viewpoint in their usage

Etymology: "Laicisms" is the plural of "laicism," a noun built from "laic" plus the suffix "-ism." The base word "laic" comes from Latin "laicus," meaning a person of the common people as opposed to the clergy, and it reached English as a term for someone outside the ordained ranks of the church. Its ultimate roots lie in Greek "laikos," derived from "laos," meaning people or populace. The suffix "-ism" is the familiar Greek-derived ending that turns a quality or practice into a noun, as in "Protestantism" or "realism." Attached to "laic," it produced a term for the tendencies, doctrines, or outlooks associated with the secular, or lay, world. The word is therefore a straightforward English formation rather than an ancient term, and its meaning rests on the older contrast between clergy and the laity.

Synonyms: secularism, laymanship, nonclergy, layperson, laity