laboratory

American  

[lab-ruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, lab-er-uh-, luh-bor-uh-tuh-ree, -uh-tree] / ˈlæb rəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈlæb ər ə-, ləˈbɒr ə tə ri, -ə tri /

noun

• laboratories
  plural

1. a building, part of a building, or other place equipped to conduct scientific experiments, tests, investigations, etc., or to manufacture chemicals, medicines, or the like.

2. any place, situation, set of conditions, or the like, conducive to experimentation, investigation, observation, etc.; anything suggestive of a scientific laboratory.

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adjective

1. serving a function in a laboratory.

2. relating to techniques of work in a laboratory.

   laboratory methods; laboratory research.

laboratory British  

/ ləˈbɒrətərɪ, ˈlæbrəˌtɔːrɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. 1. a building or room equipped for conducting scientific research or for teaching practical science

   2. ( as modifier )

      laboratory equipment

2. a place where chemicals or medicines are manufactured

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• laboratorian
  noun
• interlaboratory
  adjective
• laboratorial
  adjective
• laboratorially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• laboratories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of laboratory

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin labōrātōrium workshop, equivalent to Latin labōrā ( re ) to labor + -tōrium -tory ²

Explanation

A laboratory is a place where experiments happen, usually scientific experiments involving chemicals and lab coats, but there are creative and athletic laboratories too, where people experiment with writing and footballs. When you think of a laboratory, you might see men and women wearing face masks pouring colorful liquids into test tubes, and you’d be correct. Any place that is a testing ground for new ideas is a laboratory, like a class full of people thinking up new ways to make paper airplanes. The Latin verb laborare means “to labor,” so remember that a laboratory is a place of hard work: you can’t spell laboratory without labor in it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

laboratory laboratories

Last week, a 28-year-old laboratory worker—who, notably, worked at an anti-plague research institute—died under mysterious circumstances in a remote Siberian city.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

A former councillor has been found guilty of running a bogus coronavirus testing laboratory during the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Long-term exposure has been linked to asthma and, in laboratory studies on animals, reproductive issues and birth defects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

"No health disorders associated with infectious pathology were detected," it said, adding that "the results of almost 5,000 laboratory tests did not reveal any dangerous pathogenic microorganisms".

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Recordings from the laboratory when Journey and I were still in testing.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

At Nepal's two forensic laboratories, both in Kathmandu, experts are working to profile samples and build a database on a scale they have never handled before.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

A system designed to stop machines from rebelling will differ from one designed to hold laboratories responsible for testing practices, network architecture, safeguards, monitoring and intervention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Existing models and agents would remain available if laboratories merely delayed the next generation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

It could also make GRCop-42 available to universities, smaller laboratories, and companies that do not have access to specialized high-power printing systems.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

It encompassed not only the vast archives, but the university, too, together with laboratories and glasshouses, medical theaters and music rooms, and even a celestial observatory.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• lab
• workshop