launder

American  

[lawn-der, lahn-] / ˈlɔn dər, ˈlɑn- /

verb (used with object)

1. to wash (clothes, linens, etc.).

2. to wash and iron (clothes).

3. Informal.

   1. to disguise the source of (illegal or secret funds or profits), usually by transmittal through a foreign bank or a complex network of intermediaries.

   2. to disguise the true nature of (a transaction, operation, or the like) by routing money or goods through one or more intermediaries.

4. to remove embarrassing or unpleasant characteristics or elements from in order to make more acceptable.

   He'll have to launder his image if he wants to run for office.

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verb (used without object)

1. to wash laundry.

2. to undergo washing and ironing.

   The shirt didn't launder well.

noun

1. (in ore dressing) a passage carrying products of intermediate grade and residue in water suspension.

2. Metallurgy. a channel for conveying molten steel to a ladle.

launder British  

/ ˈlɔːndə /

verb

1. to wash, sometimes starch, and often also iron (clothes, linen, etc)

2. (intr) to be capable of being laundered without shrinking, fading, etc

3. (tr) to process (something acquired illegally) to make it appear respectable, esp to process illegally acquired funds through a legitimate business or to send them to a foreign bank for subsequent transfer to a home bank

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noun

1. a water trough, esp one used for washing ore in mining

Other Word Forms

• launderability noun
• launderable adjective
• launderer noun
• relaunder verb (used with object)
• unlaundered adjective
• well-laundered adjective

Etymology

Origin of launder

1300–50; 1970–75 launder for def. 3; Middle English: launderer, syncopated variant of lavandere, lavendere washer of linen < Middle French lavandier ( e ) < Medieval Latin lavandārius (masculine), lavandāria (feminine), equivalent to Latin lavand- (gerund stem of lavāre to wash) + -ārius, -āria -ary; -er ² )

Example Sentences

North Korea’s Lazarus Group External link, among the most sophisticated crypto-enabled criminal organizations in the world, relied heavily on the DeFi mixer Tornado Cash to launder funds.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

He upset the status quo, attacked the PGA Tour and the golf establishment, and found himself defending LIV from allegations that it was merely an instrument for Saudi Arabia to launder its global image.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

And as prominent news outlets continue to normalize and launder that simple fact, comedy that’s both humane and hilarious is a way through, if not a way out.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2025

So it is hoping for a regulatory bill that has a light touch—don’t launder money; make sure your customers can cash out when they wish—but most importantly lends confidence and legitimacy.

From Slate • May 21, 2025

The whole point of the CDO was to launder a lot of subprime mortgage market risk that the firms had been unable to place straightforwardly.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis