assembly-line

1 of 2

adjective

as·​sem·​bly-line ə-ˈsem-blē-ˌlīn 

: made by or as if by an assembly line

especially : lacking originality or creativity

bored by the novel's assembly-line plot

assembly line

2 of 2

noun

1

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled

2

: a process for turning out a finished product in a mechanically efficient manner

academic assembly lines

Examples of assembly-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

An assembly-line approach Conventional nuclear plants require massive, bespoke civil engineering works constructed entirely on site. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Many of the overuse injuries seen among video game players are also familiar to assembly-line workers, whose jobs can involve similarly repetitive movements. — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

Toyota has already begun deploying some of its ELEY humanoid robots across assembly lines to learn from human workers. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

The leading fleets, dealers and manufacturers won’t just be the ones holding the richest data—they’ll have closed the distance between spotting a risk and acting on it, from the assembly line to the driveway. — Amir Hever, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for assembly-line

• aconitine
• anopheline
• antipyrine
• bromocriptine
• chlorhexidine
• clomipramine
• creatinine
• desipramine
• guanethidine
• heterodyne
• imipramine
• meperidine

Kids Definition

assembly line

noun

: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled