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

Party committees operate inside every school, embassy, farm, military unit, office, and factory. — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

From smartphones to factories and vehicles, waste heat is everywhere. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026

The area transitioned from mills and factories to vacant properties, and then to the tech-forward mix of industries, apartments, restaurants and tourist sites that are there today. — Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026

Across the country, massive new factories, semiconductor plants, and football-field-sized AI data centers are reshaping America’s landscape. — Monica Ningen, Fortune, 29 Oct. 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