laundry list

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a lengthy, especially random list of items.

   a laundry list of hoped-for presents; a laundry list of someone's crimes.

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laundry list British  

noun

1. a list of items perceived as being long

   a laundry list of complaints

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Etymology

Origin of laundry list

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

laundry list

A new California law will narrow the laundry list of food date labels on products to two, eliminating consumer confusion and halting the unintentional food waste that has resulted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

His son’s medical expenses are never far from Harden’s mind, along with an ever-growing laundry list of concerns.

From Salon ● May 15, 2026

If the reader starts to feel pangs of resentment about this laundry list of expectations — well, we’re reminded that marriage is hard for a man too.

From Salon ● May 8, 2026

Investors have been worried about a laundry list of issues, including regulatory changes, economic prospects and whether there’s simply much more room to convert cash-based payments over to cards.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 28, 2026

For the purposes of this book, the key question about the laundry list is whether such factors differed systematically from continent to continent and thereby led to continental differences in technological development.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond