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

The approach also gives the company an opportunity to refine task-specific capabilities using information collected in actual manufacturing environments rather than relying exclusively on laboratory demonstrations. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026

Congress should fund extensions to fellowships and training grants, bridge support for early-career laboratories and opportunities for displaced researchers to resume their work. — Carole Labonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026

Authorities hoped their laboratory testing could determine whether the samples contained DNA from the same person and eventually point them to a suspect. — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026

The space will span 3,000 square meters and will help the museum exhibit work that’s sitting in storage, as well as stage exhibitions, open a restaurant or bookstore, and a laboratory. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin laboratorium, from Latin laborare to labor, from labor

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing laboratory

• lab/laboratory rat
• laboratory technician
• laboratory test
• language laboratory

Rhymes for laboratory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

Kids Definition

laboratory

noun

lab·​o·​ra·​to·​ry ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē  -ˌtȯr- 

plural laboratories

: a place equipped for making scientific experiments and tests

Medical Definition

laboratory

noun

lab·​o·​ra·​to·​ry

ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-, British usually lə-ˈbär-ə-t(ə-)rē

plural laboratories

often attributive

: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis