plural Lao or Laos ˈlau̇z How to pronounce Lao (audio)
1
: a member of a Buddhist people living in Laos and adjacent parts of northeastern Thailand
2
: the Tai language of the Lao people
Lao adjective

Examples of Lao in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bee Lao was a husband and father of five, his four daughters, ranging in age from 14 to 5, and a 2-year-old son. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2025 The menu features popular Thai and Lao dishes like pad thai, pad ka pow mussaman, chicken satay and various other meat, noodle, curry and rice dishes. Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025 One telling sequence early on has the children studying in a classroom featuring depictions of Mohammed, Jesus, Lao Tzu, Buddha and Confucius, highlighting to what extent the Bujang Valley had been a melting pot of cultures and religions. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025 Three men shared this cubicle—Qing Yuan during the night shift, Qi Chu the morning, and Lao Jia the afternoon. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Lao

Word History

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Lao was in 1808

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Cite this Entry

“Lao.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lao. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

Lao

noun
plural Lao or Laos
1
: a member of a people living in Laos and northeastern Thailand
2
: the language of the Lao people which is closely related to Thai
Lao adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Lao

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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