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

Chinese researchers are at the forefront in a growing number of areas, including additive manufacturing, blockchain, computer vision, genome editing, hydrogen storage, self-driving vehicles and hypersonic missiles. —Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025

Using additive manufacturing, Ursa Major’s Lynx production system can quickly print parts for solid rocket motors and efficiently switch from producing one type of motor to another. —Ethan Karp, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The company uses additive manufacturing (3D metal printing) to build key components of the system. —Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) is pioneering advancements in additive manufacturing and sustainable materials. —Seth Darling, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for additive manufacturing

• fracturing
• nonmanufacturing
• remanufacturing