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

• nonproduction
  noun
• productional
  adjective
• superproduction
  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

For a game with an estimated budget of over $1 billion, he said, he would expect production “to support real humans.”

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

The tank in southern California contains an estimated 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly volatile and flammable substance used in the production of plastic.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

The U.S. must look at the total ecosystem of its allies, including the safe transport of the energy that keeps their production lines running.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The government is slated to release May consumer-price data for the Tokyo metropolitan area, as well as April figures for industrial production, retail sales and employment.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

When he told his father that his job was to "hinder production," his mother scolded him, "You are here to do something against the country and here we are earning our living here."

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• construction
• management
• manufacture
• manufacturing