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.
Steel industry emissions are also a major driver of climate change, with the sector responsible for around seven percent of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Then there is the foreground, filled with plush growth, a meandering rivulet and—in the left-hand corner, in contrast to the natural wonders above—a man-made carved Meso-American stone pillar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 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
The space junk includes defunct man-made objects like rocket bodies, dead satellites and fragments from launches, explosions and collisions that threaten to re-enter Earth's atmosphere or crash into functioning satellites.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
But he could barely look at it, this largest of man-made lakes that had taken everything away from him.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
