machinery
Americannoun
plural
machineries-
an assemblage of machines or mechanical apparatuses.
the machinery of a factory.
-
the parts of a machine, collectively.
the machinery of a watch.
-
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
-
a group of contrivances for producing stage effects.
-
the group or aggregate of literary machines, especially those of supernatural agency epic machinery in an epic poem.
noun
-
machines, machine parts, or machine systems collectively
-
a particular machine system or set of machines
-
a system similar to a machine
the machinery of government
-
literary devices used for effect in epic poetry
Other Word Forms
- antimachinery adjective
Etymology
Origin of machinery
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.
Emmett Spice Co. and relocating its machinery to Baltimore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
“Our entire war machinery — missiles, radar, fighter jets — all need these heavy rare earths,” O’Connor said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
On a tour of the facility, which is packed with expensive-looking machinery, Gassan explained the philosophy behind the clinic.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Across India, the quiet machinery of automation has been reshaping - and in many cases, eliminating - the jobs that the middle class was built on.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
He never did have any sense about machinery.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
![]()
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.