man-made
Americanadjective
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produced, formed, or made by humans.
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produced artificially; not resulting from natural processes.
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Textiles.
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(of a fiber) manufactured synthetically from a cellulosic or noncellulosic base; produced chemically.
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(of a fabric or garment) constructed of synthetically made fibers.
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adjective
Etymology
Origin of man-made
First recorded in 1710–20
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.
Military analysts, for instance, say it has established electronic warfare units on an archipelago of man-made islands in the South China Sea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Reuters earlier Wednesday reported that 15 U.S. states are suing Corteva alleging that Vylor was designed to shield Corteva’s prime assets from billions of dollars in possible liabilities tied to PFAS, or man-made “forever chemicals.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
The family lived in a home adjacent to a man-made lake in Irvine’s Woodbridge neighborhood, a master-planned community known for its peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
The lake, which straddles the border with Zambia, is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs, supporting transport and fishing and providing vital hydroelectric power to both countries.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
It was one of the strangest man-made structures I’d ever seen.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
