additive manufacturing

noun

: 3d printing

Instead of the old approach of carving a usable part out of a large block of material, additive manufacturing builds an object up layer by layer.

—Larry Greenemeier

Examples of additive manufacturing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lockheed Martin said the collaboration will combine its work in quantum sensing and additive manufacturing with IBM’s capabilities in quantum computing and AI. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Manufacturing for Speed, Not Just Efficiency Ursa Major uses additive manufacturing to consolidate some propulsion components, reducing part counts and manufacturing handoffs. — Dennis Mitzner, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for additive manufacturing

• fracturing
• nonmanufacturing
• remanufacturing