factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

plural factories

1

: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing

a car factory

—often used before another noun

factory workers

a factory building

—often used figuratively

a college accused of being a diploma factory

2

archaic : a station where factors reside and trade

a colonial factory

factorylike

ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of factory

• mill
• plant
• shop
• workshop
• works

Examples of factory in a Sentence

She got a job in the factory.

the new factory will create hundreds of much-needed jobs

Recent Examples on the Web

Saturday, May 16, follows Johanna Schopfer, a watch factory worker in Geneva whose summer obsession with restoring her vintage VW Beetle becomes a personal and political act of reclamation. —Jd Linville, Variety, 15 May 2026

Daniel, who spent years in the plush comfort of Silicon Valley tech roles — unlimited PTO, big teams, no broken dryers — is logging something closer to 60 hours a week now, bouncing between laptop, factory floor, and a dairy farm eight miles up the road. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026

The 29-character code includes details such as the robot’s brand nationality, manufacturer, product model, serial number, hardware specifications, intelligence level, and factory records, according to online media reports. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026

For nurses, paramedics, factory workers and anyone else managing night shift sleep regularly, here’s what the science actually says about fixing it. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

fact(or) entry 1 + -ory entry 1; in sense 2 after Portuguese feitoria; in sense 1 perhaps short for manufactory

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing factory

• factory farm
• factory ship
• on the factory floor
• the factory floor
• think factory

Rhymes for factory

• manufactory
• olfactory
• refractory
• unsatisfactory

Kids Definition

factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

plural factories

: a building or set of buildings equipped for manufacturing

Etymology

from early French factorie "a place where business is carried on," derived from Latin factor "one that does or makes," from factus, past participle of facere "to make, do" — related to fashion, manufacture