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
Strains from outside the U.S. undergo more scrutiny, including inspection of the researchers' laboratories, Esker said.
—
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 June 2025
According to laboratory research, the ricinoleic acid in castor oil may penetrate the scalp and help prevent hair loss, promoting hair growth.4
Additional research shows that omega fatty acids and antioxidants (like the ones in castor oil) may also promote hair growth.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Work is their laboratory and failing is fun because learning has transpired.
—Megan Leasher, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Decades later, what is now called the Instituto Terra is a lush Eden, replete with wildlife and more than two and a half million trees, and serves as a kind of laboratory, providing inspiration for similar projects around the world.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 June 2025
According to laboratory research, the ricinoleic acid in castor oil may penetrate the scalp and help prevent hair loss, promoting hair growth.4
Additional research shows that omega fatty acids and antioxidants (like the ones in castor oil) may also promote hair growth.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Work is their laboratory and failing is fun because learning has transpired.
—Megan Leasher, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Decades later, what is now called the Instituto Terra is a lush Eden, replete with wildlife and more than two and a half million trees, and serves as a kind of laboratory, providing inspiration for similar projects around the world.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for laboratory
Cite this Entry
“Laboratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laboratory. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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