factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

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

ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms

• manufactory
• mill
• plant
• shop
• works
• workshop

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

For example, China is the world's largest plastics manufacturer but some of its factories depend on ethane -- a feedstock mainly imported from the U.S. CHINA China is in the midst of a public holiday, with government offices and markets closed. —Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025

But in some good news for consumers, Cook told CNBC that Apple is already sourcing over half of US iPhones from factories in India, a country that’s been spared from most of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 1 May 2025

The sale includes a Chef Boyardee factory in Pennsylvania. —Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025

Nearly 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States are made by factories in China. —Michael Collins, USA Today, 1 May 2025

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

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