production

American  

[pruh-duhk-shuhn] / prəˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

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

• nonproduction
  noun
• productional
  adjective
• superproduction
  noun

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

Because the supply-demand gap for memory is “already a big problem,” a 15- to 20-day production disruption at Samsung could send spot prices even higher and benefit Micron, Itau BBA analyst Stephano Gabriel told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Manchester City won six of the previous eight championships with an overwhelming attack that set new standards for offensive production.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

It is widely used in fertilizer manufacturing, which is essential for agriculture and global food production.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

This undermined efficiency, and Ben Franklin’s maxim that “time is money External link” is especially true with the small margins of mass production.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

On a usual day, operators are making sure that the chain reaction clips along at just the right rate for power production.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• construction
• management
• manufacture
• manufacturing