machinery

noun

ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshē-nə-rē 

-ˈshēn-rē

plural machineries

1

a

: machines in general or as a functioning unit

b

: the working parts of a machine

2

: the means or system by which something is kept in action or a desired result is obtained

the machinery of government

Synonyms of machinery

• instrumentality
• vehicle
• instrument
• means
• agent
• mechanism
• organ

Examples of machinery in a Sentence

Some of the mill's machinery was damaged in the fire.

a piece of farm machinery

Something was clogging the machinery.

The United Nations has set up machinery for mediation.

Recent Examples on the Web

The marketing and positioning of actresses in their roles is tougher than it’s been in recent years because of the insult machinery of man-boy social media and its echoes across society more widely. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026

This execution enables malicious code to piggyback on legitimate user sessions, bypassing firewalls and issuing commands to the physical machinery without requiring the device’s password to be cracked. —Saman Zonouz, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026

Arsenal-1 will use a common set of commercial manufacturing tooling, machinery, and processes for every type of autonomous vehicle that Anduril produces, the company said. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

In separate, lengthy interviews with the Herald, the sources independently confirmed that one of the most important cogs in the cartel’s criminal machinery is run by the Rodríguez siblings. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for machinery

• deanery
• greenery
• scenery
• turbomachinery

Kids Definition

machinery

noun

ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshēn-(ə-)rē 

plural machineries

1

: machines in general

2

: the working parts of a machine or instrument

3

: the organization or system by which something is done or carried on

machinery of government