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Synonyms

factory

American  
[fak-tuh-ree, -tree] / ˈfæk tə ri, -tri /

noun

plural

factories

  1. a building or group of buildings with facilities for the manufacture of goods.

  2. any place producing a uniform product, without concern for individuality.

    They call it a law school, but it's just a degree factory.

  3. (formerly) an establishment for factors and merchants carrying on business in a foreign country.

factory British  
/ ˈfæktərɪ /

noun

    1. a building or group of buildings containing a plant assembly for the manufacture of goods

    2. ( as modifier )

      a factory worker

  2. rare a trading station maintained by factors in a foreign country

  3. (formerly) a main trading station for the exchange and transshipment of furs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • factory-like adjective
  • factorylike adjective
  • subfactory noun

Etymology

Origin of factory

From the Medieval Latin word factōria, dating back to 1550–60. See factor, -y 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His band quickly took control of a federal armory and rifle factory in the sleeping town of Harpers Ferry.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

The chip maker agreed to buy back Apollo Global Management’s stake in a joint venture related to its Ireland factory.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Those include a joint Terafab chip-making project, autonomous robotaxi services and humanoid robots that could eventually be useful both on factory floors and in the kitchen.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

It put out word that it was building a factory and needed a site.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The Rwandan refugee who lived alone in an abandoned factory was now part of a family in which he played the role of protective older brother.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.