production

American  

[pruh-duhk-shuhn] / prəˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of producing; creation; manufacture.

2. something that is produced; a product.

3. Economics. the creation of value; the producing of articles having exchange value.

4. the total amount produced.

   Production is up this month.

5. a work of literature or art.

6. the act of presenting for display; presentation; exhibition.

   the production of evidence in support of the case.

   Synonyms:

   materialization, display, appearance, introduction

7. Informal. an unnecessarily or exaggeratedly complicated situation or activity.

   That child makes a production out of going to bed.

8. the organization and presentation of a dramatic entertainment.

9. the entertainment itself.

   an expensive production.

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adjective

1. regularly manufactured; not custom-made, specially produced, or experimental.

   a production model.

production British  

/ prəˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act of producing

2. anything that is produced; product

3. the amount produced or the rate at which it is produced

4. economics the creation or manufacture for sale of goods and services with exchange value

5. any work created as a result of literary or artistic effort

6. the organization and presentation of a film, play, opera, etc

7. the artistic direction of a play

8. 1. the supervision of the arrangement, recording, and mixing of a record

   2. the overall sound quality or character of a recording

      the material is very strong but the production is poor

9. (modifier) manufactured by a mass-production process

   a production model of a car

10. informal to make an unnecessary fuss about

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superproduction
  noun
• productional
  adjective
• nonproduction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of production

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prōductiōn-, stem of prōductiō “extension, lengthening”; equivalent to product + -ion

Explanation

Production is the process of goods being made or manufactured. If people like the cupcakes you sell about school events, you might have to increase production by baking in both your kitchen and your neighbor's. Anything that's made or grown is the result of production, from the harvesting of grains, vegetables, and fruits to the drilling of oil. Even your crafty friend handles the production of the handmade bookmarks she sells. Another common meaning of production is the work that goes into the making of a movie, play, or album. From this meaning comes the phrase make a production of, to do something in an overly complicated, or theatrical, way.

Example Sentences

The administration is likely considering using Defense Production Act authorities, but the Veda expert said he doesn’t think those seem like a good fit.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

To finance the initiative, he invoked the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law that grants the president broad authority to support industries considered vital to national security.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Production on segments for the 2026-27 season is already underway.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Production also suffered, dropping below 2 million barrels a day.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Production engineering, Gow reflected, “is a very expensive game and none of us, including Ernest, had the faintest notion what it meant.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• construction
• management
• manufacture
• manufacturing