label

UK: /ˈleɪb^əl/ US: /ˈleɪbəl/ ,(lā′bəl)

Inflections of 'label' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

When both "l" and "ll" forms exist, spellings with a double "l" are correct, but rare, in US English, while those with a single "l" are not correct in UK English.

labels

v 3rd person singular

labelling

v pres p (Mainly UK)

labeling

v pres p (US)

labelled

v past (Mainly UK)

labeled

v past (US)

labelled

v past p (Mainly UK)

labeled

v past p (US)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

la•bel /ˈleɪbəl/   n., v., -beled, -bel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -belled, -bel•ling. 
n. [countable]

1. a slip of paper, cloth, or other material, attached to something to indicate its manufacturer, the kind of thing it is, its ownership, etc.
2. a descriptive word or phrase:
   She wasn't happy with the "yuppie'' label they applied to her.
3. a word or phrase indicating that what follows belongs in a particular category or classification, as the word Physics before a dictionary definition.
4. a brand or trademark, esp. of a manufacturer of compact discs, tape cassettes, etc.

v. 

5. to mark with a label: [~ + object]
   to label all the shirts according to size.
   [~ + object + object]
   The bottle was labeled poison.
6. to put in a certain class;
   classify: [~ + object + object]
   They labeled her an executive assistant. He was labeled a rebel by the town.
   [~ + object + adjective]
   That teacher was labeled tough by the students.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

la•bel  (lā′bəl), n., v., -beled, -bel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -belled, -bel•ling. 
n. 

1. a slip of paper, cloth, or other material, marked or inscribed, for attachment to something to indicate its manufacturer, nature, ownership, destination, etc.
2. a short word or phrase descriptive of a person, group, intellectual movement, etc.
3. a word or phrase indicating that what follows belongs in a particular category or classification:
   The following definition has the label "Archit.''
4. Architecture a molding or dripstone over a door or window, esp. one that extends horizontally across the top of the opening and vertically downward for a certain distance at the sides.
5. a brand or trademark, esp. of a manufacturer of phonograph records, tape cassettes, etc.:
   She records under a new label.
6. the manufacturer using such a label:
   a major label that has produced some of the best recordings of the year.
7. Heraldry a narrow horizontal strip with a number of downward extensions of rectangular or dovetail form, usually placed in chief as the cadency mark of an eldest son.
8. [Obs.] a strip or narrow piece of anything.

v.t. 

9. to affix a label to;
   mark with a label.
10. to designate or describe by or on a label:
    The bottle was labeled poison.
11. to put in a certain class;
    classify.
12. Chemistry Also, radiolabel. to incorporate a radioactive or heavy isotope into (a molecule) in order to make traceable.

• Gmc. See lap¹
• Middle French: ribbon, perh.
• Middle English 1275–1325

la′bel•er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

label / ˈleɪb^əl/ noun

1. a piece of paper, card, or other material attached to an object to identify it or give instructions or details concerning its ownership, use, nature, destination, etc; tag
2. a brief descriptive phrase or term given to a person, group, school of thought, etc: the label "Romantic" is applied to many different kinds of poetry
3. a word or phrase heading a piece of text to indicate or summarize its contents
4. a trademark or company or brand name on certain goods, esp, formerly, on gramophone records
5. a group of characters, such as a number or a word, appended to a particular statement in a program to allow its unique identification
6. a radioactive element used in a compound to trace the mechanism of a chemical reaction

verb ( -bels, -belling, -belled) ( -bels, -beling, -beled)(transitive)

1. to fasten a label to
2. to mark with a label
3. to describe or classify in a word or phrase: to label someone a liar
4. to make (one or more atoms in a compound) radioactive, for use in determining the mechanism of a reaction

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from Germanic; compare Old High German lappa rag

ˈlabeller, ˈlabeler noun