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

plural

laboratories

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  

/ -trɪ, ləˈbɒrətərɪ, ˈlæbrəˌtɔːrɪ /

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

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

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

Protein production from delivered mRNA increased between 5- and 20-fold across multiple cell types, both in laboratory experiments and in living animals.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

A toxic additive was also found in similar jars seized by police after laboratory tests in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the police statement said.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

It’s the first time Voyager has been selected for a trip to the orbiting laboratory.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Scientists can now investigate phenomena linked to high-energy physics and astrophysics, including black-hole thermodynamics and entanglement entropy scaling, within a laboratory setting.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

HOLOCOM: Shale Sabio, please report to laboratory A2122 immediately.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• lab
• workshop