factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

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

ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms

• mill
• plant
• shop
• workshop
• works

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

Meanwhile, carbon capture has recently gained traction for its ability to trap CO2 emissions directly from industrial sources such as power plants, cement factories, and steel manufacturers, before the gas ever reaches the atmosphere. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2025

There’s a 20-foot-long, bright yellow noodle that looks like a smile at the Kraft Heinz factory. —Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025

No surprise, that makes this the fastest factory Mustang ever. —ArsTechnica, 29 Sep. 2025

China factory data are due out on Tuesday and a quarterly business sentiment survey by the Bank of Japan comes on Wednesday. —Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing factory

• factory farm
• factory ship
• on the factory floor
• the factory floor
• think factory

Rhymes for factory

• manufactory
• olfactory
• refractory
• unsatisfactory

Kids Definition

factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

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