2
: deficient in firmness : not stringent
lax control
a lax foreman
security has been lax
3
a
: not tense, firm, or rigid : slack
a lax rope
b
: having an open or loose texture
a lax soil
c
: having the constituents spread apart
a lax flower cluster
4
: articulated with the muscles involved in a relatively relaxed state (such as the vowel \i\ in contrast with the vowel \ē\)
Synonyms
Examples of lax in a Sentence
Adjective
The university has been lax about enforcing these rules.
lax parents who let their kids stay out as late as they want
Recent Examples on the Web
Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024
Experts believe that a combination of lax oversight and cost-cutting have led to more people getting sick, such as with listeria outbreaks that have also been all over recent headlines.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Boeing also has been the target of multiple whistleblower lawsuits that have alleged lax safety and manufacturing practices that resulted in quality-control issues.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Matt Grossmann, a Michigan State University political science professor and director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, said Michigan’s financial disclosure laws are lax.
—Eye On Michigan, Detroit Free Press, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lax 
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Adjective
My parents often spoke of their regimented, cloistered upbringings in Nigeria, and their belief that Americans are too lax.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024
Experts believe that a combination of lax oversight and cost-cutting have led to more people getting sick, such as with listeria outbreaks that have also been all over recent headlines.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Boeing also has been the target of multiple whistleblower lawsuits that have alleged lax safety and manufacturing practices that resulted in quality-control issues.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Matt Grossmann, a Michigan State University political science professor and director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, said Michigan’s financial disclosure laws are lax.
—Eye On Michigan, Detroit Free Press, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lax
Dictionary Entries Near lax
Cite this Entry
“Lax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lax. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lax
adjective1
of the bowels
: loose sense 3
2
: having loose bowels
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