factory

American  

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

noun

• factories
  plural

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.

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factory British  

/ ˈfæktərɪ /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subfactory
  noun
• factory-like
  adjective
• factorylike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• factories
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of factory

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

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Explanation

A factory is a big building in which products are made, like Willie Wonka's fictional Chocolate Factory, which was famous for producing (among other sweets and treats) the one-of-a-kind Everlasting Gobstopper. Early relatives of the word factory were in use as far back as the 1500s, long before the Industrial Revolution made the modern idea of a factory a reality. Of course, a big building with many different types of machinery inside it isn't the only definition of a factory. A successful pop group that scores several number one songs in a row could be called "a hit factory."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

factory factories

This durability could be especially valuable for wearable devices, factory equipment, and sensors operating outdoors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

"No amount of glue in any publisher's factory could ever hold this," she told Cooper.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Employees are pushed to voice and document concerns on red cards displayed on the factory floor, putting leaders on notice to take care of problems quickly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The chip factory, called Terafab, was the object of some of Musk's most effusive and self-boosting language on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Paris had first seen Rada five years earlier outside the factory fire and then again seen him with Stavros Sinclair during the competition.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

In the sprawling former industrial city of Osasco, shuttered factories have given way to a shopping malls and delivery app tech companies in what is now dubbed São Paulo's "Silicon Valley."

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Miller Holding also operates a network of Venezuelan cement factories and markets coffee beans, concessions granted under Maduro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

With their legal status under TPS, many Haitians took on low-paid jobs in factories and distribution warehouses.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Some have touted "industrial AI" as a possible avenue for Europe since its renowned machine makers -- such as Germany's Siemens and France's Schneider Electric -- have products installed in factories worldwide.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

If a judge were to mandate the dissolution of the company, its factories would remain standing and its workers, accountants, managers and shareholders would continue to live—but Peugeot SA would immediately vanish.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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