machinery
Americannoun
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an assemblage of machines or mechanical apparatuses.
the machinery of a factory.
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the parts of a machine, collectively.
the machinery of a watch.
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a group of people or a system by which action is maintained or by which some result is obtained.
the machinery of government.
- Synonyms:
- setup, structure, organization
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a group of contrivances for producing stage effects.
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the group or aggregate of literary machines, especially those of supernatural agency epic machinery in an epic poem.
noun
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machines, machine parts, or machine systems collectively
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a particular machine system or set of machines
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a system similar to a machine
the machinery of government
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literary devices used for effect in epic poetry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of machinery
Explanation
Machinery refers to specific machines or machines in general. A farmer has lots of farm machinery, like tractors and plows. Machinery is also the inner workings of something — the machinery of a society is how a society works. You can refer to a group of machines as machinery, such as the machinery in a factory or the machinery in a laboratory. It’s also the inner workings of a particular machine, like the machinery that keeps your computer running. Machinery has to do with how something works or functions. The government, media, business, and family are all part of the machinery of society. The word machinery originally referred to the devices used for creating stage effects in the theater.
Vocabulary lists containing machinery
Engineering - Introductory
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Mechanical Engineering
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Engineering - Middle School
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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.
The citation, outlined in court records, alleged the company in April 2018 “failed to ensure that all machinery and equipment in service were inspected or maintained as recommended by the manufacturer.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
"It's ridiculous, unnecessary and costly and actually makes the machinery worse," the billionaire president added.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The imperial machinery, built in an earlier more democratic era, hums along without our input.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
That's expected to help farmers who use it in their tractors and other agricultural machinery.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
It is a glimpse at the machinery of nature.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
