factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

plural factories

1

: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing

a car factory

—often used before another noun

factory workers

a factory building

—often used figuratively

a college accused of being a diploma factory

2

archaic : a station where factors reside and trade

a colonial factory

factorylike

ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of factory

• 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

Ukraine, meantime, has also recently ramped up missile and drone attacks against key infrastructure deep inside Russian territory, including oil refineries, ports and military factories. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

For many steps in the process at Hyundai’s sprawling Georgia auto factory, vehicles take shape without a person in sight. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 6 July 2026

While the delay for a single part may be measured in hours, those hours add up across an entire production line, creating a bottleneck that can limit how many aircraft a factory can build. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

True Limoges will have at least two marks on it—a factory mark and a decorating mark—and will sometimes have an import mark identifying the retailer where it was originally sold. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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