launder

American  

[lawn-der, lahn-] / ˈlɔn dər, ˈlɑn- /

verb (used with object)

• launders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• laundered,
  past participle,  past
• laundering
  present participle

1. to wash (clothes, linens, etc.).

2. to wash and iron (clothes).

3. Informal.

   1. to disguise the source of (illegal or secret funds or profits), usually by transmittal through a foreign bank or a complex network of intermediaries.

   2. to disguise the true nature of (a transaction, operation, or the like) by routing money or goods through one or more intermediaries.

4. to remove embarrassing or unpleasant characteristics or elements from in order to make more acceptable.

   He'll have to launder his image if he wants to run for office.

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verb (used without object)

• launders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• laundered,
  past participle,  past
• laundering
  present participle

1. to wash laundry.

2. to undergo washing and ironing.

   The shirt didn't launder well.

noun

1. (in ore dressing) a passage carrying products of intermediate grade and residue in water suspension.

2. Metallurgy. a channel for conveying molten steel to a ladle.

launder British  

/ ˈlɔːndə /

verb

1. to wash, sometimes starch, and often also iron (clothes, linen, etc)

2. (intr) to be capable of being laundered without shrinking, fading, etc

3. (tr) to process (something acquired illegally) to make it appear respectable, esp to process illegally acquired funds through a legitimate business or to send them to a foreign bank for subsequent transfer to a home bank

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noun

1. a water trough, esp one used for washing ore in mining

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• launderability
  noun
• launderer
  noun
• relaunder
  verb (used with object)
• launderable
  adjective
• unlaundered
  adjective
• well-laundered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• laundering
  present
• laundered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• launder
  simple
• launders
  simple
• have laundered
  perfect
• has laundered
  perfect
• am laundering
  progressive
• are laundering
  progressive
• is laundering
  progressive
• have been laundering
  perfect progressive
• has been laundering
  perfect progressive

Past

• laundered
  simple
• had laundered
  perfect
• was laundering
  progressive
• were laundering
  progressive
• had been laundering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will launder
  simple
• will have laundered
  perfect
• will be laundering
  progressive
• will have been laundering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of launder

1300–50; 1970–75 launder for def. 3; Middle English: launderer, syncopated variant of lavandere, lavendere washer of linen < Middle French lavandier ( e ) < Medieval Latin lavandārius (masculine), lavandāria (feminine), equivalent to Latin lavand- (gerund stem of lavāre to wash) + -ārius, -āria -ary; see -er ²)

Explanation

To launder is to wash your clothes or other things made from cloth, like sheets and towels. A college student might try to wait to launder her clothes until she goes home for Thanksgiving. When you launder, you wash a load of laundry, or dirty clothes. These days most of us use a washing machine to launder, adding detergent to the water and then tossing the wet things in the dryer after they're clean. Another meaning of launder is "hide the origins of illegal money," or "make dirty money look clean," which is usually done by making it appear that the money was earned through a legitimate business.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

launder launders laundered laundering

Shell companies are dangerous because they are used both by criminal organizations to evade sanctions and launder money and by the rich to avoid taxes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The move has been accompanied by some rollbacks of post-coup curbs and prisoner amnesties, which analysts have likewise dismissed as lip-service measures to launder the leadership's reputation.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

Because it prevented leaks, the Boater reduced the need to frequently launder soaked clothes, sheets and blankets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

And as prominent news outlets continue to normalize and launder that simple fact, comedy that’s both humane and hilarious is a way through, if not a way out.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2025

The whole point of the CDO was to launder a lot of subprime mortgage market risk that the firms had been unable to place straightforwardly.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated three leaders and supporters of an Iran-aligned militia in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, as well as a business that it says moves and launders funds for the organization.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 22, 2024

“Today, Treasury is sanctioning Tornado Cash, a virtual currency mixer that launders the proceeds of cybercrimes, including those committed against victims in the United States,” Nelson said.

From The Verge ● Aug. 8, 2022

But the game launders this good idea into a bad one by making many enemies invulnerable unless your character has reached a certain level.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2020

Bethany launders them in-house and places them in a tub in the entryway, for workers to don each day after taking their temperature and passing a screening.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2020

Coming to the inferior officers and artificers, we have carpenters, smiths, goldsmiths, farriers, potters, ditchers, launders, armorers, fishermen, millers, bakers, salters, tailors, and barbers.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 05 (From Charlemagne to Frederick Barbarossa) by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne

Chacin said the expanded police presence could help stem violence, but that tackling organized crime required, above all, following the money -- investigating how the proceeds are laundered and who is benefitting most.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

When you’ve done that, you can start to feel the excitement of owning a freshly laundered $100 bill.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

British anticrime officials and the financial-sector watchdogs estimated in 2024 that more than £100 billion in illicit money is laundered inside or through the U.K. every year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

The whole letter is Bezos’ grievance talking, laundered through one of his fixers.

From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2026

However, it had been recently laundered and smelled only of fresh air and lilac water.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Revolut's rapid growth has also drawn criticism in recent years over its ability to comply with financial regulations, particularly those aimed at combating fraud and money laundering.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Daphne Caruana Galizia gained international prominence for her investigations into corruption, money laundering and organised crime, which she published on her blog Running Commentary.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

He faced criminal investigations of alleged money laundering in Spain and Switzerland, though no formal charges have emerged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Another 15,000 were given to HSI’s cross-border financial crimes unit, which was told to prioritize them over money laundering and fraud cases, a former high-level HSI official said.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

The CDO was, in effect, a credit laundering service for the residents of Lower Middle Class America.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis