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manufacturer

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

noun

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

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


manufacturer British  
/ ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃərə /

noun

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

"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

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing manufacturer

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.

Manufacturer 3M is using its freight services to move products from manufacturing sites to distribution centers worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said the UK price of Mounjaro had to increase to be more in line with higher prices in Europe and the US.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin describes the system as highly effective against short, medium and long-range targets.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2024

Chevrolet won its first Manufacturer Cup championship in 1958 and later recorded a streak of 13 consecutive titles between 2003 through 2015.

From Washington Times • Oct. 29, 2023

THOMAS, Chemist, 10 Pall Mall, Manufacturer of Pure Photographic Chemicals, and may be procured of all respectable Chemists; in pots at 1s., 2s., and 3s. 6d. each, through MESSRS.

From Notes and Queries, Number 185, May 14, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George