machinery

noun

ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshē-nə-rē 

-ˈshēn-rē

plural machineries

1

a

: machines in general or as a functioning unit

b

: the working parts of a machine

2

: the means or system by which something is kept in action or a desired result is obtained

the machinery of government

Synonyms of machinery

• instrumentality
• vehicle
• instrument
• means
• agent
• mechanism
• organ

Examples of machinery in a Sentence

Some of the mill's machinery was damaged in the fire.

a piece of farm machinery

Something was clogging the machinery.

The United Nations has set up machinery for mediation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Stedman lands every blow thanks to her patient accumulation of ordinary life, the shearing and mustering and fence-mending, the slow mapping of relationships that ensures each loss registers as something more than plot machinery. —Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

The heavy machinery made quick work of clearing the drain and the water began to recede. —Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

Industrial settings with heavy machinery could create electrical noise that affects sensor readings. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026

So, for anyone curious about Michaels and the machinery that shaped half a century TV? —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for machinery

• deanery
• greenery
• scenery
• turbomachinery

Kids Definition

machinery

noun

ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshēn-(ə-)rē 

plural machineries

1

: machines in general

2

: the working parts of a machine or instrument

3

: the organization or system by which something is done or carried on

machinery of government