Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

machinist

American  
[muh-shee-nist] / məˈʃi nɪst /

noun

  • machinists
    plural
  1. a person who operates machinery, especially a skilled operator of machine tools.

  2. a person who makes or repairs machines.

  3. U.S. Navy. a warrant officer whose duty is to assist the engineering officer in the engine room.


machinist British  
/ məˈʃiːnɪst /

noun

  1. a person who operates machines to cut or process materials

  2. a maker or repairer of machines

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of machinist

First recorded in 1700–10; machine + -ist


Vocabulary lists containing machinist

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.

See Examples For:

Josh, who worked as a machinist at Tritech, said he had been "working heavy machinery", completely oblivious to the danger he could have been in.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

"I thought I would lay low for a while and seek new employment once the situation calms," said Musa Hashimi, who worked as a machinist in a textile factory.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

The Air Force veteran and union machinist told Romero he was mulling a run for public office.

From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2026

Joe Kostka, 71, a retired machinist who paints the trail markers, lined up with his 42-year-old son Tim, who flew in from North Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2025

Burger had lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for many years working as a machinist.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

The picket by 33,000 machinists secured the workers a 38% wage hike over their four-year contract and demonstrated the power of the Seattle-area bargaining bloc.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The construction and installation of offshore wind turbines requires the expertise of skilled electrical workers, pipe fitters, welders, pile drivers, iron workers, machinists and carpenters.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

Demand for machinists, on the other hand, has fallen considerably.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026

Sciortino estimates that there are 550,000 CNC machinists in Germany, compared with 350,000 in the whole of the US.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

“He says it’s too heavy,” I told the machinists.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training