factory
noun
fac·to·ry
ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 
plural factories
1
: a station where factors reside and trade
a colonial factory
2
a
: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing
b
: the seat of some kind of production
the vice factories of the slums
Examples of factory in a Sentence
She got a job in the factory.
the new factory will create hundreds of much-needed jobs
Recent Examples on the Web
But some German automakers, including Volkswagen, export cars to the US from their factories in Mexico.
—
Anna Cooban, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
Compounding pharmacies are regulated by state boards of pharmacy and source ingredients are usually obtained from factories registered with the FDA.
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
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BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, has already begun closing its factories in Germany and shifting production to China and the United States.
—Melissa Eddy, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
My father worked as a machinist in a factory, while my mother sold cosmetics.
—Reshma Saujani, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for factory
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Anna Cooban, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
Compounding pharmacies are regulated by state boards of pharmacy and source ingredients are usually obtained from factories registered with the FDA.
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks Mixing Favorite Styles Brings the Most Appealing Results
How the ‘Manosphere’ Became Mainstream Entertainment
BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, has already begun closing its factories in Germany and shifting production to China and the United States.
—Melissa Eddy, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
My father worked as a machinist in a factory, while my mother sold cosmetics.
—Reshma Saujani, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for factory
Cite this Entry
“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
factory
noun
fac·to·ry
ˈfak-t(ə-)rē
plural factories
: a building or set of buildings equipped for manufacturing
Etymology
from early French factorie "a place where business is carried on," derived from Latin factor "one that does or makes," from factus, past participle of facere "to make, do" — related to fashion, manufacture
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