factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
plural factories
1
: a station where factors reside and trade
a colonial factory
2
a
: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing
b
: the seat of some kind of production
the vice factories of the slums
factorylike adjective

Examples of factory in a Sentence

She got a job in the factory. the new factory will create hundreds of much-needed jobs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But once up on stage, her reasonable-sounding language was replaced by the consistent mispronunciation of Kamala Harris's first name and exaggerations of the scale of recent Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) layoffs at their factory in nearby Warren, Michigan. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Knock-on effects of the strike have reverberated far beyond Boeing’s West Coast factories. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024 Crystal outlined a number of sustainability advancements earlier this year in its annual sustainability report, including significantly improving water resource and wastewater management in its denim factory in Cambodia, dropping freshwater intensity per piece by around 30 percent. Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2024 One major Boeing jet, the 787 Dreamliner, is manufactured at a nonunion factory in South Carolina. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for factory 

Word History

Etymology

fact(or) entry 1 + -ory entry 1; in sense 1 after Portuguese feitoria; in sense 2 perhaps short for manufactory

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of factory was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near factory

Cite this Entry

“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

factory

noun
fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
plural factories
: a building or set of buildings equipped for manufacturing
Etymology

from early French factorie "a place where business is carried on," derived from Latin factor "one that does or makes," from factus, past participle of facere "to make, do" — related to fashion, manufacture

More from Merriam-Webster on factory

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