workshop

American  

[wurk-shop] / ˈwɜrkˌʃɒp /

noun

1. a room, group of rooms, or building in which work, especially mechanical work, is carried on.

2. a seminar, discussion group, or the like, that emphasizes exchange of ideas and the demonstration and application of techniques, skills, etc..

   a theater workshop; an opera workshop.

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verb (used with object)

workshopped, workshopping

1. to experiment with different versions of (a play or other performance), often in a collaborative environment.

   Most comedians workshop their jokes in smaller clubs before adding them to a polished routine.

workshop British  

/ ˈwɜːkˌʃɒp /

noun

1. a room or building in which manufacturing or other forms of manual work are carried on

2. a room in a private dwelling, school, etc, set aside for crafts

3. a group of people engaged in study or work on a creative project or subject

   a music workshop

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verb

1. (tr) to perform (a play) with no costumes, set, or musical accompaniment

Other Word Forms

• postworkshop adjective

Etymology

Origin of workshop

First recorded in 1555–65; work + shop

Explanation

A workshop is a place you go to work. If your mother enjoys carpentry, she might have a workshop in the basement where she can build furniture. Workshops are for making and fixing things like wooden furniture, cars, or mysterious inventions. A shorthand way to refer to a workshop is shop, as in the shop class offered in many high schools, which usually meets in a workshop. The noun workshop also means a course or meeting at which a work in progress — often a story, poem, or script — is discussed by a group of writers.

Example Sentences

Florist Abriana Vicioso is reimagining the traditional flower workshop as a communal “guided journey,” using botanical arts to foster healing and connection in the heart of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The property also features a workshop with a bathroom, which Eberle used to work on cars, a passion of his.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

In November, he convened about 100 senior executives for a three-day workshop in Paris to test that philosophy, opening the floor to debate on the themes set out in his memo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Unruly salt-and-pepper hair in a long quaff, round glasses and broad smile give James Ortiz the look of a whimsical inventor, the kind that hides away in his workshop crafting extraordinary artifacts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

I longed to accept her invitation, for I had heard from the other women in the workshop that Mala’s room was often crowded with artists and musicians.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Related Words

• factory
• laboratory
• mill
• plant
• studio