manufacturer

American  

[man-yuh-fak-cher-er] / ˌmæn jəˈfæk tʃər ər /

noun

• manufacturers
  plural

1. a person, group, or company that owns or runs a manufacturing plant.

2. a person, group, or company that manufactures.

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manufacturer British  

/ ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃərə /

noun

1. a person or business concern that manufactures goods or owns a factory

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• manufacturers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of manufacturer

First recorded in 1710–20; manufacture + -er ¹

Explanation

A manufacturer is a person or business that makes goods to sell. If you buy a shirt that has a "made in the USA" label, it means that the manufacturer of the shirt is in the United States. You can use the noun manufacturer for any company (or individual) that makes products, but it's most often used for things made on a very large scale, like cars, appliances, and computers. The word comes from manufacture, which as a noun originally meant "something made by hand," from the Latin roots manus, "hand," and factura, "a working."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manufacturer manufacturers

The authors reported receiving funding from GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Shingrix.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

GKN Aerospace, based in the United Kingdom, is a major international manufacturer of airplane parts, with plants in 12 countries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

There was a further £85m of unrealised losses after rocket manufacturer Orbex and medical technology firm Pneumowave entered administration.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Building trust took time, but showing Voltarc our commitment to spotlighting the history and craft of neon convinced the manufacturer to open its doors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

His competitors soon had their own rolling machines—although Duke had worked out a special arrangement with the machine's makers guaranteeing him a rate 25 percent under the best price charged any other manufacturer.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Neither the Vapor Technology Assn., the largest industry trade group, nor the American Vapor Manufacturers, an industry group representing independent vapor manufacturers, could be reached for comment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The first two tiers include core state commitments such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a tax credit for manufacturers and the high-speed rail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Wholesalers—the largest component of Canada’s services sector—connect farmers or manufacturers that produce goods with companies and public institutions that use them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The outbreak of the Middle East war has dimmed those expectations after the hit to energy-intensive manufacturers, with the government now expecting growth of just 0.5 for 2026 as a whole.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Legally, the manufacturers of the Nexus-6 brain unit operated under colonial law, their parent autofactory being on Mars.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• builder
• business
• company
• corporation
• operator
• producer