lavatory
noun
Simple meaning
A vessel or fixture for washing.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lavuhtawreeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlævətɔɹi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
christianity
A piscina: the basin used for washing communion vessels.
christianity
The ritual washing of hands after using the piscina to clean the communion vessels.
A laver: a washbasin.
Handwashing as an act, particularly
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
Used this way, lavatory is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a nautical use: it is standard at sea and largely unfamiliar ashore.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Sailing/maritime
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Nearby words
- lav , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly.
A container or vessel, especially for liquids, usually made of metal.
A fixture used for urination and defecation, particularly one with a large bowl and ring-shaped seat which uses water….
A basin used for washing, (now) particularly a permanently installed sink, fitted with a water supply and a drain, for….
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A toilet that is available to the public.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “lavatory” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.