fabricate

1 of 2

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-bri-ˌkāt 

fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

1

a

: invent, create

b

: to make up for the purpose of deception

accused of fabricating evidence

2

: construct, manufacture

specifically : to construct from diverse and usually standardized parts

Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic parts.

fabricator

ˈfa-bri-ˌkā-tər 

noun

fabricator

2 of 2

noun

fab·​ri·​ca·​tor -ātə(r) 

-ātə-

plural -s

: one that fabricates: such as

a

: one that invents a false statement or commits forgery : liar, forger

b

: an implement for fabricating

specifically : a neolithic flint used as a tool for fashioning other implements

c

: a workman who shapes, finishes, or assembles objects

d

: a firm or establishment that converts metal from one form into another compare fabrication sense 1c

Synonyms of fabricate

Verb

• produce
• make
• manufacture
• create

Examples of fabricate in a Sentence

Verb

Only the largest parts were fabricated at the factory.

Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic materials.

a story fabricated to sell magazines

She was accused of fabricating data.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As prosecutors pointed out, even Resnick has written that command hallucinations are easy to fabricate, and Clancy’s own accounts of the voice were inconsistent. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Lower temperatures keep production costs down and make the materials easier to fabricate on high-speed commercial lines. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Xiao An re-engineered the rear chassis, modified the swingarm, and fabricated custom rigid struts styled to resemble streamlined shocks. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

Video of the flood quickly spread online, though some had been fabricated by AI. — Thor Benson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English fabricaten, borrowed from Latin fabricātus, past participle of fabricāre, fabricārī "to fashion, shape, construct," derivative of fabrica "process of making something, craft, art" — more at fabric

Noun

Latin, from fabricatus + -or

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fabricate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

fabricate

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt 

fabricated; fabricating

1

: invent sense 2, create

2

: to make up in order to deceive

fabricated evidence to support her claim

3

: construct sense 1, manufacture

fabrication

ˌfab-ri-ˈkā-shən

noun

fabricator

ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

fabricate

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-brə-ˌkāt 

fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

: to make up (as testimony) with an intent to deceive

intransitive verb

: to make something up with an intent to deceive

there was a motive to fabricate

—Gary Taylor