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

Firestar operated a large factory inside Surat’s Special Economic Zone, a duty-free enclave that allowed the company to cut, polish and manufacture jewelry for export markets. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026

Their presence says the AI factory is being evaluated as infrastructure, the way ports, pipelines, and power plants get evaluated, and that evaluation is happening on a continent most American investors never think about. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Those factory workers and their families are not going to vote for El-Sayed and his extreme positions. — NBC news, 9 Aug. 2026

The significance of the project ultimately goes beyond one factory. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 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