laboratory
noun
lab·o·ra·to·ry ˈla-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē 
sometimes ˈla-bər-ˌtȯr-
or ˈla-bə-ˌtȯr-
or lə-ˈbȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-
plural laboratories
often attributive
1
a
: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis
a research laboratory
broadly : a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study
b
: a place like a laboratory for testing, experimentation, or practice
That area is a laboratory for cultivating the germ of terrorism.
2
: an academic period set aside for laboratory work
a course of study requiring two lectures and one laboratory per week
Examples of laboratory in a Sentence
experiments conducted in a modern laboratory
Recent Examples on the Web
The only way to positively identify chronic wasting disease in deer is through laboratory testing of deer lymph node or brain stem tissue. —
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026 Scientists are unsure whether the virus jumped from an animal, as many other viruses have, or came from a laboratory accident. —Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 One example is Protect Land + Sea, a label created by Downs’ laboratory that verifies products are free of ingredients such as oxybenzone, octinoxate and parabens. —ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laboratory
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026 Scientists are unsure whether the virus jumped from an animal, as many other viruses have, or came from a laboratory accident. —Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 One example is Protect Land + Sea, a label created by Downs’ laboratory that verifies products are free of ingredients such as oxybenzone, octinoxate and parabens. —ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laboratory
Cite this Entry
“Laboratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/laboratory. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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laboratory
noun
lab·o·ra·to·ry ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē -ˌtȯr-
-ˌtȯr-
plural laboratories
: a place equipped for making scientific experiments and tests
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