manufacture

American  

[man-yuh-fak-cher, man-uh-] / ˌmæn yəˈfæk tʃər, ˌmæn ə- /

noun

1. the making of goods or wares by manual labor or by machinery, especially on a large scale.

   the manufacture of television sets.

2. the making or producing of anything; generation.

   the manufacture of body cells.

3. the thing or material manufactured; product.

   Plastic is an important manufacture.

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verb (used with object)

manufactured, manufacturing

1. to make or produce by hand or machinery, especially on a large scale.

   Synonyms:

   build

2. to work up (material) into form for use.

   to manufacture cotton.

3. to invent fictitiously; fabricate; concoct.

   to manufacture an account of the incident.

4. to produce in a mechanical way without inspiration or originality.

   to manufacture a daily quota of poetry.

manufacture British  

/ ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃə /

verb

1. to process or make (a product) from a raw material, esp as a large-scale operation using machinery

2. (tr) to invent or concoct

   to manufacture an excuse

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noun

1. the production of goods, esp by industrial processes

2. a manufactured product

3. the creation or production of anything

Synonym Usage

Manufacture, assemble, fabricate apply to processes in industry. Manufacture, originally to make by hand, now means to make by machine or by industrial process: to manufacture rubber tires. To assemble is to fit together the manufactured parts of something mechanical: to assemble an automobile. To fabricate is to construct or build by fitting standardized parts together: to fabricate houses. See also make ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• semimanufactured
  adjective
• semimanufacturing
  noun
• nonmanufacture
  noun
• unmanufactured
  adjective
• manufacturing
  noun
• nonmanufacturing
  noun
• manufacturable
  adjective
• well-manufactured
  adjective
• manufactural
  adjective
• nonmanufactured
  adjective
• premanufacture
  verb (used with object)
• unmanufacturable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of manufacture

First recorded in 1560–70; from Middle French manufacture “the action or process of making; a factory,” equivalent to Latin manū “by hand”, ablative singular of manus “hand” + Middle French facture “making, construction” (from Late Latin factūra “action of creating, a creation, piece of handiwork,” from Latin factūra “act of fashioning; metal working,” a derivative of facere “to make, do”); the verb is derivative of the noun

Explanation

To manufacture something, is to make or construct it, usually for industry and sale. Unless you make all your own clothes, a company probably had to manufacture them. Manufacture is generally associated with industry and factories. Henry Ford, for instance, revolutionized industry by using assembly lines to manufacture Model Ts. But manufacture can also be used for the natural word, like bees that manufacture honey. Occasionally it use used more generally to mean to construct by putting parts together. And in a pinch, you can manufacture — or make — the truth, which is a creative way to say “lie.”

Example Sentences

The Ojai could pave the way for Waymo to expand more rapidly at a lower price, as it costs less to manufacture and outfit than the I-Pace.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

A U.K. site using MMA to manufacture resin, a liquid or substance that turns into polymer, exploded and caused a fire in 2009.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

In 2017, the DRC passed a law banning the manufacture and import of plastic bags and bottles but the regulation remains largely ignored.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Despite their importance, these molecules are notoriously difficult to manufacture.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

The poison sacs of the town began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed with the pressure of it.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• assemble
• complete
• construct
• create
• fabricate
• mass-produce
• synthesize