fabricate

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-bri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

1
a
b
: to make up for the purpose of deception
accused of fabricating evidence
2
: construct, manufacture
specifically : to construct from diverse and usually standardized parts
Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic parts.
fabricator noun

Examples of fabricate in a Sentence

Only the largest parts were fabricated at the factory. Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic materials. a story fabricated to sell magazines She was accused of fabricating data.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Reports indicating otherwise are entirely fabricated. Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024 The actor became infamous for fabricating stories about his life, including tales of witnessing a clown die and being a women’s hand model. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024 Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: Altered The image is fabricated and was first shared by a Reddit user who labeled it that way. Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024 His claims, however, have been met with aggressive pushback from Maduro's government, which accuses him of fabricating vote tallies. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fabricate 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fabricaten, borrowed from Latin fabricātus, past participle of fabricāre, fabricārī "to fashion, shape, construct," derivative of fabrica "process of making something, craft, art" — more at fabric

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fabricate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fabricate

Cite this Entry

“Fabricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabricate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating
1
2
: to make up in order to deceive
fabricated evidence to support her claim
3
fabrication
ˌfab-ri-ˈkā-shən
noun
fabricator noun

Legal Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-brə-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

: to make up (as testimony) with an intent to deceive

intransitive verb

: to make something up with an intent to deceive
there was a motive to fabricateGary Taylor

More from Merriam-Webster on fabricate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!