factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
plural factories
1
: a station where factors reside and trade
a colonial factory
2
a
: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing
b
: the seat of some kind of production
the vice factories of the slums
factorylike adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
FlexxCORE acts as a communication and coordination bridge that allows humanoid and industrial robots to securely connect with factory equipment, IT systems, and even human operators. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025 By replacing Chinese factories, America’s small businesses will help bind the world to Washington. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 Joint operations by the Civil Police and the Health Surveillance Agency have led to the closure of four clandestine factories and the arrest of 41 people, according to a statement by the government of São Paulo. Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025 The club were founded in 1938 by employees at a textile factory and named after their company’s emblem — the bare-faced ibis, a bird native to South America. Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for factory

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of factory was in 1582

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Cite this Entry

“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

factory

noun
fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on factory

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