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Showing results for prefabricate. Search instead for prefabricating.
Synonyms

prefabricate

American  
[pree-fab-ri-keyt] / priˈfæb rɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

prefabricated, prefabricating
  1. to fabricate or construct beforehand.

  2. to manufacture in standardized parts or sections ready for quick assembly and erection, as buildings.


prefabricate British  
/ priːˈfæbrɪˌkeɪt /

verb

  1. (tr) to manufacture sections of (a building), esp in a factory, so that they can be easily transported to and rapidly assembled on a building site

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of prefabricate

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + fabricate

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.

See Examples For:

The tower crane also allows the crews to prefabricate some things on the ground, such as steel cages that are then hoisted up and set in place, Collins said.

From Washington Times Sep. 19, 2016

By using automatic welding machines to prefabricate sections and then moving the sections into place with Chinese-designed cranes, the yard has cut building time on a ship from one year to seven months.

From Time Magazine Archive

Consolidated would prefabricate ships in the plant at Maywood, trans port parts 22 mi. by truck and assemble them in yards at Wilmington and Long Beach.

From Time Magazine Archive

Analysts have said it’s smart to ditch that requirement because these days most prefabricated homes aren’t moved after their initial placement.

From MarketWatch Jun. 26, 2026

In September, 2024, before Trump was re-elected, it announced a new factory in Pelzer, S.C., with 300 more jobs to produce prefabricated power and heating management systems.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 18, 2026

Quadriplegic and bedridden in a prefabricated home, 36-year-old Li Xia can only move one finger and one toe -- yet he runs a high-tech farm in southwestern China using sensors, cameras and a computer.

From Barron's Jan. 29, 2026

To reduce ambulance queues, prefabricated structures were converted into a permanent unit with 14 beds - all are full during the BBC's visit.

From BBC Dec. 10, 2025

It sounded like she was reading from a prefabricated script.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Modular construction for apartments, or prefabricating parts of buildings in factories and then assembling them on-site, offers a way to possibly bring down costs.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 17, 2026

It involves prefabricating panels for use as part of walls, floors and roofs in a manufacturing plant and then sending them to a building site.

From New York Times Jun. 7, 2022

By prefabricating, De Long cut the total time to six months.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thousands of dollars went out the window when Resettlement Administration officials took to prefabricating concrete slabs for the houses, then couldn't find a way to join them.

From Time Magazine Archive

When the Germans surrendered in World War H, we found they had been prefabricating subs.

From Time Magazine Archive

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