factory

noun

fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
plural factories
Synonyms of factorynext
1
: a building or set of buildings with facilities for manufacturing
a car factory
—often used before another noun
factory workers
a factory building
—often used figuratively
a college accused of being a diploma factory
2
archaic : a station where factors reside and trade
a colonial factory
factorylike
ˈfak-t(ə-)rē-ˌlīk How to pronounce factory (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of factory

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Frey grew up near Detroit, a comfortably middle-class kid obsessed with Jack Kerouac and his city’s soul hit factory. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026 On the downside, the factory camper van lacks the fridge, sink system and cooking equipment that Ququq integrates into its all-in-one camper system. — New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026 Other notable reports include Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing PMI out Tuesday and factory orders on Wednesday. — Kevin Stankiewicz,zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 Asante draws a manufacturing analogy—with some exaggeration—arguing that previous nuclear power plants were built bespoke, akin to constructing an entire factory to produce a single car. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for factory

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of factory was in 1582

Phrases Containing factory

Rhymes for factory

See All Rhymes for factory

Browse Nearby Words

factor X
factory
factory committee
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Factory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

factory

noun
fac·​to·​ry ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce factory (audio)
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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about factory

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All