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.
The Biden administration pledged more than $1 billion in grants last year to help retool or reopen 11 auto plants — including more than $650 million for two factories in Michigan — for electric vehicle production. Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 Many factory owners have fled or been imprisoned following the regime change last August, and the sector continues to grapple with unresolved regulatory and financial issues. Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025 The company’s overseas factories can make nineteen thousand garments a day. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 With a physical French factory still at the heart of the brand, Aigle has ramped up not only communication on its in-house production, but also invested heavily in manufacturing innovation. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 21 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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