What does "lavatory" mean?
A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
Lavatory
/ˈlæv.ə.t(ɔ)ɹ.i/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
- Grammar: lavatory is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: toilet, bathroom, washbasin, ablution.
- Useful contrasts: bedpans, outdoor latrine, outdoor toilet.
- Usage evidence: We have just cleaned the lavatory.
How to use "lavatory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lavatory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lavatory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lavatory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lavatory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lavatory" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "toilet" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lavatory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
"Whon he haþ vsed he walkeþ riht To Lauatorie þer hit is diht For to wassche his hende."
- 2 a toilet that is cleaned of waste by the flow of water through it wordnet
- 3 A vessel or fixture for washing; A laver: a washbasin.
- 4 a room or building equipped with one or more toilets wordnet
- 5 A vessel or fixture for washing; A bathtub. archaic
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 a bathroom sink that is permanently installed and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you can wash your hands and face wordnet
- 7 A vessel or fixture for washing; A piscina: the basin used for washing communion vessels.
- 8 A vessel or fixture for washing; A lavabo: the basin used for washing one's hands before handling the Eucharist.
- 9 A vessel or fixture for washing; A baptismal font: the basin used for baptism, used figuratively for the washing away of sins. figuratively, usually
- 10 A vessel or fixture for washing; A plumbing fixture used for washing: a sink.
"Their 'bathroom' included a toilet and a lavatory but no bath."
- 11 Handwashing as an act, particularly
"Wᵗ condicion that at the tyme of the Lavatory eueryche of theym turne theym to the people, and exorte theym to pray for ye soules following..."
- 12 Handwashing as an act, particularly; The lavabo: the ritual washing of hands before handling the eucharist.
- 13 Handwashing as an act, particularly; The ritual washing of hands after using the piscina to clean the communion vessels.
- 14 A liquid used in washing; a lotion; a wash; a rinse. obsolete
"They must be wasshed wyth wyne or wyth some other lauatorye."
- 15 A washroom: a room used for washing the face and hands. dated
"Even the lavatory, a vestibule to the refectory through which the novices would pass on their way to the recreation room, boasted a painting cycle."
- 16 A room containing a toilet: a bathroom (US) or WC (UK). euphemistic
"Americans don't know 'WC' and Brits mock 'bathroom' but everyone usually understands 'toilet' or 'lavatory'."
- 17 A plumbing fixture for urination and defecation: a toilet. New-England, UK
"In a traditional German lavatory, the hole in which shit disappears after we flush water is way in front, so that the shit is first laid out for us to sniff at and inspect for traces of some illness; in the typical French lavatory, on the contrary, the hole is in the back - that is, the shit is supposed to disappear as soon as possible; finally, the Anglo-Saxon (English or American) lavatory presents a kind of synthesis, a mediation between these two opposed poles - the basin is full of water so that the shit floats in it - visible, but not to be inspected."
- 18 A place to wash clothes: a laundry. dated
- 19 A place where gold is panned. obsolete
- 20 A paved room in a mortuary where corpses are kept under a shower of disinfecting fluid. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 Washing, or cleansing by washing. dated, not-comparable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We have just cleaned the lavatory."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lavatory"?
Common synonyms include: toilet, bathroom, washbasin, ablution, aircraft toilet, aquamanile.
How do you use "lavatory" in a sentence?
We have just cleaned the lavatory.
How do you pronounce "lavatory"?
Pronounced /ˈlæv.ə.t(ɔ)ɹ.i/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lavatorie, from Late Latin lavātōrium, from Latin lavāre (“to wash”) + -ium (forming places related to an activity). As a place to pan gold, via Spanish lavadero. Doublet of lavatorium and laver. See also lave.
Etymology 2
From Latin lavātōrius.