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
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.
OpenAI hopes to raise hundreds of billions of dollars to construct computer chip factories in the Middle East. Cade Metz, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2025 Aside from his various films, Scott is the co-founder of Made Here, a product line featuring clothing, accessories and beer exclusively made in American factories. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025 These economic constraints are one challenge to reopening domestic factories to make generic drugs in the United States, said Fox. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025 Building materials made in factories can contain latent defects. Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for factory

Word History

Etymology

fact(or) entry 1 + -ory entry 1; in sense 1 after Portuguese feitoria; in sense 2 perhaps short for manufactory

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of factory was in 1582

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

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

More from Merriam-Webster on factory

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