product

American  

[prod-uhkt, -uhkt] / ˈprɒd əkt, -ʌkt /

noun

1. a thing produced by labor.

   products of farm and factory;

   the product of his thought.

2. a person or thing produced by or resulting from a process, as a natural, social, or historical one; result.

   He is a product of his time.

3. the totality of goods or services that a company makes available; output.

   a decrease in product during the past year.

4. Chemistry. a substance obtained from another substance through chemical change.

5. Mathematics.

   1. the result obtained by multiplying two or more quantities together.

   2. intersection.

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product British  

/ ˈprɒdʌkt /

noun

1. something produced by effort, or some mechanical or industrial process

2. the result of some natural process

3. a result or consequence

4. a substance formed in a chemical reaction

5. any substance used to style hair, such as gel, wax, mousse, or hairspray

6. maths

   1. the result of the multiplication of two or more numbers, quantities, etc

   2. Also called: set product.  another name for intersection

7. See Cartesian product

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product Scientific  

/ prŏd′əkt /

1. A number or quantity obtained by multiplication. For example, the product of 3 and 7 is 21.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subproduct
  noun
• multiproduct
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of product

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prōductum “(thing) produced,” neuter of past participle of prōdūcere “to lead forward”; see produce

Explanation

When you start making something, the result is a product. Most products are offered for sale, like dairy products at the grocery store or kitchen products at Macy's. The word product is often a synonym for "merchandise" — the stuff for sale on the racks and shelves at a store. But a product can also simply be the result or consequence of someone's efforts or a set of circumstances. A good report card is the product of hard work. You are the product of your parent's relationship. And an aging hippie who still wears bell bottoms may be described as a product of the sixties.

Example Sentences

“The product has a very low odor threshold, meaning people may notice a scent even when concentrations are well below levels associated with health concerns,” health officials said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Its Starlink broadband product has amassed more than 10 million customers and generated billions of dollars in annual earnings.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The key data of the week in the U.K. will be gross domestic product figures for April on Friday as investors gear up for a Bank of England decision on June 18.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

As the company tries to speed the development of those products, executives said they had cut product development times to 15 to 16 months, down from 18 to 24 months.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Several other companies, such as the Great Western Spinach Growers’ Association and the Energetic Breakfast Oats Company, wanted him to recommend their product, too, and offered him large sums of cash.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater

Related Words

• amount
• brand
• commodity
• crop
• device
• fruit
• merchandise
• output
• produce
• production
• profit
• stock
• work