laundry

noun

laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē 

ˈlän-

plural laundries

1

a

: a room for doing the family wash

b

: a commercial laundering establishment

2

: clothes or linens that have been or are to be laundered

Examples of laundry in a Sentence

There's a pile of dirty laundry in the laundry basket.

The patients' sheets are sent regularly to the hospital laundry.

Recent Examples on the Web

The restoration project will add 30 shelter beds for all genders, plus showers, laundry and toilet facilities. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

In his 12 seasons at Penn State, James Franklin went 4-21 against top-10 opponents and 1-18 against the best in the Big Ten, spinning the Lions and their fans through the same laundry cycle every year. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

The DeniBrite system taps into Novonesis’ enzymatic bleaching solution designed to help formulators and laundries create distinctive denim designs such as bright contrasts and vintage fades in a more sustainable way. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026

But with a little planning, even a single closet can become a functional laundry station. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing laundry

• air one's dirty laundry
• dirty laundry
• do the/one's laundry
• laundry list
• load of laundry

Kids Definition

laundry

noun

laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē 

ˈlän-

plural laundries

1

: clothes or linens that have been or are to be laundered

2

: a place where laundering is done

Etymology

from an obsolete word launder (noun) "one who washes clothes," derived from early French lavandier (or lavandiere) "a man (or woman) who washes clothes," from Latin lavandus "needing to be washed," from lavare "to wash" — related to lavatory, lavish, lotion