Explanation at your level:
You use launder to talk about cleaning clothes. It is like saying 'wash.' For example, you can launder your shirts. It is not a very common word for everyday speaking, but you might see it on a tag or in a hotel. Just remember: it means to make things clean!
When you have dirty clothes, you launder them. This means you wash, dry, and iron them. Hotels often say they 'launder' the bed sheets. It sounds a bit more formal than just saying 'wash.' You can also use it to talk about money in movies, but that is a more advanced way to use the word.
In this level, you will see launder used in two ways. First, it describes the process of cleaning textiles. Second, it is a key term in news about crime. When people steal money, they try to launder it. This means they make the 'dirty' money look like it came from a real job. It is a very useful word for understanding news stories.
Launder is a versatile verb. In a domestic context, it implies a thorough cleaning process. In a professional or legal context, it is the standard term for financial fraud involving the concealment of illicit funds. Understanding the register is important here; using it for clothes is slightly formal, while using it for money is standard professional terminology.
At the C1 level, you should recognize the metaphorical extension of launder. Beyond just money, one might speak of 'laundering' a reputation or 'laundering' information to make it seem more credible. This usage highlights the deceptive nature of the verb. It implies a systematic effort to sanitize or purify something that is fundamentally tainted or problematic.
The mastery of launder involves understanding its etymological shift from the Latin lavare. In C2 writing, you might use it to describe the subtle manipulation of facts or the 'cleansing' of a political image. It carries a connotation of artificiality and hidden intent. Whether discussing the industrial laundering of linens or the sophisticated digital laundering of cryptocurrency, the word always maintains a sense of a process—a series of steps taken to transform something from a state of 'dirtiness' to a state of perceived 'purity.'
Word in 30 Seconds
- Launder means to wash textiles.
- It also means hiding illegal money.
- It is a regular verb.
- Always use 'laundry' for the noun.
The word launder is a fascinating example of how a simple action can take on a complex, metaphorical meaning. At its most basic, it refers to the daily chore of cleaning your laundry. When you launder your clothes, you are washing, drying, and often ironing them to make them fresh again.
However, you will frequently hear this word in news reports or crime dramas. In this context, to launder money means to take cash that was earned through illegal activities—like theft or fraud—and move it through a series of bank accounts or businesses. The goal is to make the money look like it came from a clean, legal source, effectively 'washing' away the evidence of the crime.
The word launder has a surprisingly elegant history. It traces back to the Middle English word lavender, which itself comes from the Old French lavandier. These words are rooted in the Latin lavare, which simply means 'to wash.'
Originally, a lavender was a person who washed clothes for a living. Over time, the word evolved into the verb we use today. The figurative meaning—referring to money—is a much more modern invention. It gained significant popularity in the mid-20th century, specifically during the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, when the press used the term to describe how illicit campaign funds were moved through different accounts to hide their true origin.
In everyday conversation, launder is used sparingly for clothes, where 'wash' is much more common. You might hear 'laundered linens' in a high-end hotel context, but 'washing the sheets' is standard for home life.
The financial usage is a specific, formal term used in journalism, law, and finance. You will often see it paired with words like money, funds, or assets. When discussing this, writers often use the phrase money laundering as a noun. It is a serious term, so avoid using it casually unless you are specifically talking about financial crimes.
While launder itself isn't the base of many common idioms, it is often used in set phrases. 1. Launder money: The act of hiding illegal income. 2. Launder one's reputation: To try and make a bad image look good again. 3. Wash your dirty linen in public: Discussing private problems openly (related to the laundry theme). 4. Clean as a whistle: Having nothing to hide, the opposite of laundered money. 5. Come clean: To tell the truth about something hidden.
Launder is a regular verb. Its past tense and past participle forms are laundered, and the present participle is laundering. It is almost always used as a transitive verb, meaning it needs an object—you must launder something.
Pronunciation varies slightly between regions. In the UK, it is often pronounced /ˈlɔːndə/, while in the US, it is /ˈlɔːndər/. The stress is always on the first syllable. It rhymes with words like wander (in some dialects), ponder, and yonder.
Fun Fact
It comes from the same root as 'lavender', because clothes were once washed with lavender for scent.
Pronunciation Guide
Lawn-duh
Lawn-der
Common Errors
- Pronouncing the 'u' as in 'cup'
- Forgetting the 'r' at the end in US English
- Misplacing the stress
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Requires context
Simple to say
Clear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Transitive Verbs
I launder the shirt.
Gerunds
Laundering money is illegal.
Past Participles
The money was laundered.
Examples by Level
I need to launder my shirts.
I must wash my shirts.
Verb + object
Please launder the towels.
Please wash the towels.
Imperative
They launder the hotel sheets.
They wash the hotel sheets.
Subject + verb + object
Do you launder these clothes?
Do you wash these clothes?
Question form
She will launder the dress.
She will wash the dress.
Future tense
He helps launder the socks.
He helps wash the socks.
Verb + verb
We launder items weekly.
We wash things every week.
Adverb of frequency
Is it easy to launder?
Is it easy to wash?
Adjective + infinitive
The hotel staff will launder your clothes daily.
It is important to launder delicate fabrics carefully.
She prefers to launder her linens by hand.
Did you launder the uniforms for the team?
They launder the curtains once a year.
The machine helps to launder clothes quickly.
We need to launder everything before we pack.
He learned how to launder shirts at home.
The police discovered a scheme to launder stolen money.
Criminals often use shell companies to launder funds.
He was arrested for trying to launder millions through a casino.
The bank has strict rules to prevent people from laundering money.
She was accused of laundering her reputation through fake news.
They were caught laundering cash through a fake restaurant.
The investigation into how they launder money is ongoing.
It is difficult to launder large amounts of cash without being noticed.
The firm was fined for failing to detect efforts to launder illicit assets.
He attempted to launder his image after the scandal.
The process used to launder the funds was highly sophisticated.
Authorities are cracking down on those who launder money through real estate.
She was tasked with laundering the company's public image.
The report details how the organization managed to launder its profits.
They used offshore accounts to launder the proceeds of their crimes.
It is a complex operation to launder money across borders.
The politician sought to launder his past through a series of charitable donations.
The hackers used cryptocurrency to launder the stolen digital assets.
The report highlights the systemic failure to prevent entities from laundering money.
He tried to launder his controversial views by presenting them as academic research.
The laundering of funds through legitimate art sales has become a major concern.
They were experts at laundering information to suit their own narrative.
The sheer scale of the effort to launder the money was unprecedented.
The legal team argued that the transactions were not intended to launder money.
The novel explores the way the protagonist tries to launder his conscience through acts of performative altruism.
The financial institution was complicit in the laundering of vast sums of money for the cartel.
The process of laundering historical narratives often involves the erasure of uncomfortable truths.
The complex web of shell companies was designed to launder the illicit gains of the regime.
The laundering of the company's reputation was a masterclass in public relations.
He was a master at laundering his own history to appear more heroic than he actually was.
The investigation exposed the sophisticated mechanisms used to launder money through global trade.
The subtle laundering of bias into the algorithm created a distorted view of reality.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"Wash your dirty linen in public"
Discussing private problems openly
They shouldn't wash their dirty linen in public.
idiomatic"Come clean"
To tell the truth
It is time you come clean about the money.
casual"Clean as a whistle"
Very clean or innocent
His record is clean as a whistle.
casual"Clean up one's act"
To improve behavior
He needs to clean up his act.
casual"Sweep under the rug"
To hide a problem
They tried to sweep the scandal under the rug.
casual"Money laundering"
The act of hiding illegal money
He was charged with money laundering.
formalEasily Confused
Noun vs Verb
Laundry is the stuff, launder is the act.
Do the laundry; launder the clothes.
Sound
Wander means to walk aimlessly.
Don't wander off.
Rhyme
Squander means to waste money.
Don't squander your cash.
Meaning
Wash is general, launder is specific to textiles.
Wash the car; launder the shirt.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + launder + object
They launder clothes.
Subject + launder + object + through + place
They launder money through banks.
Attempt to + launder
He tried to launder it.
Be + accused of + laundering
He was accused of laundering.
Help + to + launder
She helped to launder money.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
5/10
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Launder is for fabrics, not dishes.
Launder is only a verb.
They sound similar but have different meanings.
Context determines the meaning.
Launder is for textiles.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine a laundry mat where the dryers are filled with cash.
When to use
Use for clothes or financial crimes.
Cultural Insight
Associated with crime thrillers.
Grammar Shortcut
Always a verb.
Say It Right
Stress the first syllable.
Don't confuse
Launder (verb) vs Laundry (noun).
Did You Know?
Comes from 'lavender' scents.
Study Smart
Read news articles using the term.
Register
Don't use it for dishes.
Verb form
It is a regular verb.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Launder sounds like 'Lawn' + 'Der'. Imagine cleaning your lawn of 'dirty' money.
Visual Association
A washing machine spinning money instead of clothes.
Word Web
Challenge
Use 'launder' in a sentence about chores today.
Word Origin
Old French / Latin
Original meaning: To wash
Cultural Context
Financial laundering is a serious crime.
Commonly used in crime reporting and hotel/textile industries.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At a hotel
- launder the linens
- laundry service
- laundered towels
Financial news
- money laundering scheme
- launder illicit funds
- anti-money laundering
Home chores
- launder clothes
- launder sheets
- carefully launder
Crime investigation
- caught laundering
- suspected of laundering
- attempt to launder
Conversation Starters
"Have you heard about money laundering in the news?"
"Do you prefer to launder your own clothes?"
"Why do you think people try to launder money?"
"Is it common to launder linens in hotels?"
"What is the difference between washing and laundering?"
Journal Prompts
Describe the process of doing laundry.
Write a story about a detective finding laundered money.
Why is it important to have laws against money laundering?
How has the word 'launder' changed over time?
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it is also used for money.
No, use 'laundry' for the noun.
It is formal in finance, neutral in textiles.
Yes, in many accents.
Laundered.
Less than 'wash'.
Bankers and journalists.
No, you wash a car.
Test Yourself
I need to ___ my dirty shirts.
Launder means to wash clothes.
What does 'launder' mean for money?
It means to make illegal money look legal.
You can launder dishes.
Launder is for fabrics.
Word
Meaning
Matching definitions.
He tried to launder money.
They sought to ___ their reputation.
Launder is used metaphorically here.
Which is the etymological root?
Latin lavare.
Launder is a noun.
It is a verb.
They launder the sheets.
The police are investigating the ___ of funds.
Laundering is the noun form of the act.
Score: /10
Summary
Launder is a verb that means to clean fabrics or to hide the origin of illegal money.
- Launder means to wash textiles.
- It also means hiding illegal money.
- It is a regular verb.
- Always use 'laundry' for the noun.
Memory Palace
Imagine a laundry mat where the dryers are filled with cash.
When to use
Use for clothes or financial crimes.
Cultural Insight
Associated with crime thrillers.
Grammar Shortcut
Always a verb.
