1. (n.) The people, as distinguished from the clergy; the body of the people not in orders.

2. (n.) The state of a layman.

3. (a.) Those who are not of a certain profession, as law or medicine, in distinction from those belonging to it.

British Cabinet Sanhedrin US Cabinet advisory body architecture assemblage assemblee assembly line assembly-line production assignation association at home ball bench bicameral legislature board board of aldermen body body of advisers borough council brain trust brawl brethren building buildup cabinet call-up camarilla canvass casting caucus census chamber chamber of deputies churchgoers circle city board city council class collection colligation collocation colloquium combination commission committee common council company comparison composition compound conclave concourse concurrence conference confluence conflux congregation congress connection constitution construction consultative assembly conventicle convention convergence conversion convocation corralling council council fire council of ministers council of state council of war county council court crafting craftsmanship creation crowd cultivation dance data-gathering date deliberative assembly devising diet directory divan eisteddfod elaboration embodiment erection extraction fabrication fashioning federal assembly festivity fete flock fold forgathering formation forming formulation forum framing gathering general assembly get-together getup group growing handicraft handiwork harvesting horde host house of assembly housewarming incorporation ingathering inventory junction junta juxtaposition kitchen cabinet laity laymen legislative assembly legislative body legislative chamber legislature levee lower chamber lower house machining make makeup making manufacture manufacturing meet meeting milling mining minyan mixture mobilization molding multitude muster national assembly nonclerics nonordained persons organization panel parish parish council parishioners parliament party people piecing together plenum prefabrication preparation privy council processing producing production line prom provincial legislature provincial parliament putting together quorum raising rally reception refining rendezvous representative town meeting rodeo roundup seance seculars session set-up setup shaping sheep shindig sit-in sitting smelting society soiree soviet staff state assembly state legislature structure structuring survey symposium syndicate syneresis synod synthesis throng town meeting tribunal turnout unicameral legislature upper chamber upper house workmanship