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

John joins the apparel company, which makes clothing for babies and young children, after a 13-year run as CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, where she oversaw the turnaround and expansion of the stuffed-animals specialty retailer.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

So it was reasonable to expect that his “Tartuffe,” at New York Theatre Workshop and featuring Matthew Broderick in the title role, might take bold and interesting liberties with Molière’s 1664 play.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

These findings were presented this week at Europe’s first Space Agriculture Workshop.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2025

Event planner Mike Ward from The Workshop said the demand for better value for money had also boosted venues offering all-inclusive services with hotels, in particular, seeing increased interest.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

When the Children’s Television Workshop was founded in the late 1960s, Palmer was a natural recruit.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• factory
• laboratory
• mill
• plant
• studio