production

American  

[pruh-duhk-shuhn] / prəˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

• productions
  plural

1. the act of producing; creation; manufacture.

2. something that is produced; a product.

3. Economics. the creation of value; the producing of articles having exchange value.

4. the total amount produced.

   Production is up this month.

5. a work of literature or art.

6. the act of presenting for display; presentation; exhibition.

   the production of evidence in support of the case.

   Synonyms:

   materialization, display, appearance, introduction

7. Informal. an unnecessarily or exaggeratedly complicated situation or activity.

   That child makes a production out of going to bed.

8. the organization and presentation of a dramatic entertainment.

9. the entertainment itself.

   an expensive production.

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adjective

1. regularly manufactured; not custom-made, specially produced, or experimental.

   a production model.

production British  

/ prəˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act of producing

2. anything that is produced; product

3. the amount produced or the rate at which it is produced

4. economics the creation or manufacture for sale of goods and services with exchange value

5. any work created as a result of literary or artistic effort

6. the organization and presentation of a film, play, opera, etc

7. the artistic direction of a play

8. 1. the supervision of the arrangement, recording, and mixing of a record

   2. the overall sound quality or character of a recording

      the material is very strong but the production is poor

9. (modifier) manufactured by a mass-production process

   a production model of a car

10. informal to make an unnecessary fuss about

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonproduction
  noun
• superproduction
  noun
• productional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• productions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of production

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prōductiōn-, stem of prōductiō “extension, lengthening”; equivalent to product + -ion

Explanation

Production is the process of goods being made or manufactured. If people like the cupcakes you sell about school events, you might have to increase production by baking in both your kitchen and your neighbor's. Anything that's made or grown is the result of production, from the harvesting of grains, vegetables, and fruits to the drilling of oil. Even your crafty friend handles the production of the handmade bookmarks she sells. Another common meaning of production is the work that goes into the making of a movie, play, or album. From this meaning comes the phrase make a production of, to do something in an overly complicated, or theatrical, way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

production productions

I remember they sat us down in their production office, and we had champagne, and they gave us each our character arcs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

The company is paying for the drilling campaign itself, with cash flow from its oil production, the people familiar said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Also, Venezuelan production gains will take years to achieve, and the durability of the deal — legally and politically — is uncertain, they noted.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The researchers found that these signals suppress both the production and activity of ESRP2.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

I recalled from my music research that enjoyable music stimulates the production of the hormone serotonin, which makes us feel joy and elevates our moods by altering our brain waves.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

The fact that we can see it at all is a miracle in modern moviemaking, when so many productions never clear the enormous obstacles in their way.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Essex County Council established the Essex Film Office in 2022 to attract more large film productions to the county.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

I look back to when I was starting my company, and I think of the extraordinary range of productions, the amount of creativity that was in the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Both productions also transgressed personal boundaries that pushed Panettiere to lows no one should endure, but so many stars growing up in the spotlight unfortunately do.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Couples danced to the latest hits while fireworks exploded overhead, or they enjoyed light comedies performed by a local stock company, in a theater that served as a casino between productions.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• construction
• management
• manufacture
• manufacturing