launder
pronunciation
How to pronounce launder in British English:
UK [ˈlɔ:ndə(r)]
How to pronounce launder in American English:
US [ˈlɔndɚ,ˈlɑn-]
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- Verb:
- cleanse with a cleaning agent, such as soap, and water
- convert illegally obtained funds into legal ones
Word Origin
- launder (v.)
- 1660s, "to wash linen," from noun launder "one who washes" (especially linen), mid-15c., a contraction of lavender, from Old French lavandier "washer, launderer," from Medieval Latin lavandaria "a washer," ultimately from Latin lavare "to wash" (see lave). Criminal banking sense first recorded 1961, from notion of making dirty money seem clean; brought to widespread use during U.S. Watergate scandal, 1973. Related: Laundered; laundering.
Example
- 1. I know lawyers who launder money and they make more than I do .
- 2. People use the canal water to drink , bathe , launder clothes and wash food .
- 3. Overseas casinos were commonly used to launder money out of the country in collusion with gaming operators , the report said .
- 4. A poor border guard is easier to tempt than a rich one , and a struggling business may be persuaded to launder money .
- 5. Hsbc will today offer a profuse apology for allowing drug cartels and terrorist groups to launder money through accounts it operated in america .