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
Licenses would be required for growers, processors and testing laboratories.
—
Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
With roughly 100,000 contractors and subcontractors tied to the NNSA’s nationwide network of laboratories and production facilities, the sites affected by the furlough stretch from California to South Carolina and include some of the most sensitive laboratories and production plants in the nation.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Across a week of screenings, workshops, and cross-cultural exchanges, SIFF reaffirmed that youth storytelling isn’t a niche, but a laboratory for empathy, creativity and imagination.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
Its testing equipment and other products like software are used in hospitals, doctors’ offices and laboratories to diagnose diseases.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
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Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
With roughly 100,000 contractors and subcontractors tied to the NNSA’s nationwide network of laboratories and production facilities, the sites affected by the furlough stretch from California to South Carolina and include some of the most sensitive laboratories and production plants in the nation.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Across a week of screenings, workshops, and cross-cultural exchanges, SIFF reaffirmed that youth storytelling isn’t a niche, but a laboratory for empathy, creativity and imagination.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
Its testing equipment and other products like software are used in hospitals, doctors’ offices and laboratories to diagnose diseases.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 21 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 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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