laboratory
noun
lab·o·ra·to·ry
ˈla-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē 
sometimes ˈla-bər-ˌtȯr-,
or ˈla-bə-ˌtȯr-,
or lə-ˈbȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-
plural laboratories
often attributive
1
a
: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis
a research laboratory
broadly
: a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study
b
: a place like a laboratory for testing, experimentation, or practice
That area is a laboratory for cultivating the germ of terrorism.
2
: an academic period set aside for laboratory work
a course of study requiring two lectures and one laboratory per week
Examples of laboratory in a Sentence
experiments conducted in a modern laboratory
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, the research facility employs around 18,000 people, according to the laboratory’s website.
—
Natalie Wu, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The gold bracelet adorned with a lapis lazuli bead was last seen in the restoration laboratory of the museum in Tahrir Square, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Flight engineers are now determining a new target arrival date for Cygnus, one of four vehicles contracted to transport cargo and other supplies to the orbital laboratory.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Most previous investigations along these lines have been in laboratories, so real-world experience in a harsh place like the Atacama, and for such a long time, is something new.
—Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
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Natalie Wu, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The gold bracelet adorned with a lapis lazuli bead was last seen in the restoration laboratory of the museum in Tahrir Square, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Flight engineers are now determining a new target arrival date for Cygnus, one of four vehicles contracted to transport cargo and other supplies to the orbital laboratory.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Most previous investigations along these lines have been in laboratories, so real-world experience in a harsh place like the Atacama, and for such a long time, is something new.
—Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
Cite this Entry
“Laboratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laboratory. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laboratory
noun
lab·o·ra·to·ry
ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
-ˌtȯr-
plural laboratories
: a place equipped for making scientific experiments and tests
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