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

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

The plan presented to Iranian leadership Tuesday broadly included a 30-day ceasefire and sanctions relief for Iran in exchange for a laundry list of U.S. demands, according to the Associated Press and other outlets.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Nvidia’s press release featured a laundry list of endorsements.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

There’s a laundry list of issues ailing the AI trade — from big-picture macroeconomic questions affecting the rate-cut outlook, to highly specific comments from key players like OpenAI that have rattled the market.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 23, 2025

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