man-made

adjective

ˈman-ˈmād How to pronounce man-made (audio)
-ˌmād
: manufactured, created, or constructed by human beings
specifically : synthetic
man-made fibers

Examples of man-made in a Sentence

man-made diamonds that were really just glass the houses in the new development are built around a man-made lake
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.
This was a disastrous night for the Wizards, in an epoch of seemingly never-ending disasters — some man-made (see Webber to Kings, above), others a matter of bad luck. David Aldridge, New York Times, 13 May 2025 The border is technically man-made: It was drawn on a map by the governments of America and Britain, which controlled Canada until 1867. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 May 2025 Off the coast of Sicily, Italy, a scuba diver scanned the seafloor for anything that looked man-made or generally just interesting. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025 Framing your pool with a modern retaining wall will create a contrast between the natural and man-made elements of your yard. Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for man-made

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of man-made was in 1615

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Man-made.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man-made. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

man-made

adjective
ˈman-ˈmād
: made by people rather than nature
man-made satellites
especially : synthetic entry 1 sense 2
man-made fibers

More from Merriam-Webster on man-made

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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