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
Two birds were taken to a state laboratory for testing, and the health department said preliminary results indicate the birds died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as bird flu.
—
Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Based on the laboratory’s study, 7-OH — a drug that basically did not exist two years ago, and which is sold unregulated at gas stations and smoke shops — ranks third among illicit substances detected in workplace drug tests, behind marijuana and amphetamines.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 10 Dec. 2025
Inside a cancer research laboratory on the campus of Harvard Medical School, two dozen small jars with pink plastic lids sit on a metal counter.
—Martha Bebinger, NPR, 9 Dec. 2025
Diagnosis relies on a thorough medical history, a physical examination, and laboratory testing.
—Peter Pressman, Verywell Health, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
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Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
Based on the laboratory’s study, 7-OH — a drug that basically did not exist two years ago, and which is sold unregulated at gas stations and smoke shops — ranks third among illicit substances detected in workplace drug tests, behind marijuana and amphetamines.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 10 Dec. 2025
Inside a cancer research laboratory on the campus of Harvard Medical School, two dozen small jars with pink plastic lids sit on a metal counter.
—Martha Bebinger, NPR, 9 Dec. 2025
Diagnosis relies on a thorough medical history, a physical examination, and laboratory testing.
—Peter Pressman, Verywell Health, 9 Dec. 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 12 Dec. 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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