# laundry

/ˈɫɔndɹi/ (US) · /lˈɔːndɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/laundry
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. clothes to be washed

noun · CEFR A2

clothes, sheets, and towels that need to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed.

For teachers: items of clothing, bed linen, or towels that require laundering, are currently in the process, or have been recently cleaned.

- I need to do the laundry because I have no clean socks left.
- He left a massive pile of dirty laundry on the floor instead of putting it in the basket before he left for the weekend.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to the pile of clothes.

### 2. a place for washing

noun · CEFR B1

a room or a business where clothes are washed and dried.

For teachers: a commercial establishment or a specific room within a household or institution dedicated to laundering.

- The apartment building has a shared laundry in the basement.
- The hotel laundry handles hundreds of sheets and towels every morning to ensure the rooms are ready for new guests by noon.

### 3. illegal money business

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

a business used to hide the fact that money was earned illegally.

For teachers: a front organisation or business used to facilitate money laundering by concealing the origins of illicit funds.

- The police suspected the small shop was actually a laundry for criminal money.
- Investigators discovered that the car wash served as a sophisticated laundry, processing millions in illicit gains through a series of shell companies.

Teaching tip: This is a metaphorical extension of 'cleaning' dirty money; in formal legal contexts, use 'money laundering' instead.

## Examples

- I need to do my laundry this weekend.
- She left the basket of clean laundry on the bed for her son to fold and put away.
- The hotel provides a comprehensive laundry service for guests, ensuring that garments are cleaned, pressed, and returned within twenty-four hours.

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