Meaning & use
layman's terms
Last updated
UK/ˈleɪmənz ˌtɜːmz/
US/ˈleɪmənz ˌtɝːmz/
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Everyday words that people with no special training can follow, used to explain something specialized.
Grammar: Almost always follows in: explain it in layman's terms.
Patterns
- in layman's terms
- put something in layman's terms
Can you explain the diagnosis in layman's terms?
In layman's terms, the software saves a copy of your files every night.
The lawyer put the contract in layman's terms for her clients.
Common combinations
- in layman's terms
- In layman's terms, inflation means your money buys less.
- explain in layman's terms
- The engineer explained the fault in layman's terms.
- put it in layman's terms
- Could you put it in layman's terms for me?
- translate into layman's terms
- The report was translated into layman's terms for the public.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plain English
- Plain English stresses clear, simple wording, while layman's terms stresses speaking to a non-expert.
- simple terms
- Simple terms is a little more general and does not point to the listener being a non-specialist.
- lay language
- Lay language is more formal and mostly appears in medical or legal writing.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
The doctor was happy to explain the test results ____, so we could all understand.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is in layman's terms, with the possessive. The other options use the wrong preposition or lose the apostrophe-s.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “layman's terms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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