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

The flexibility of additive manufacturing could also support future field operations, where replacement reactor components could be produced on-site instead of transported from centralized manufacturing facilities. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

In June, the company announced an agreement valued at more than $50 million for 30 M4 ONYX metal additive manufacturing systems from the German 3D printer manufacturer EOS. — Carolyn Schwaar, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for additive manufacturing

• fracturing
• nonmanufacturing
• remanufacturing