What does "factory" mean?
A building or other place where manufacturing takes place.
Factory
/ˈfæk.tə.ɹi/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A building or other place where manufacturing takes place.
- Grammar: factory is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: armory, arsenal, assembly line, assembly plant.
- Useful contrasts: artisan workshop, artisanal studio, atelier.
- Usage evidence: Thanks to the technological innovation, the maximum output of the factory has doubled.
How to use "factory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "factory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "factory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "factory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "factory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "factory" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "armory" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "factory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A building or other place where manufacturing takes place.
"[…] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit."
- 2 a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing wordnet
- 3 A police station. UK, slang
"The guys all knew each other and we were having a jolly old chinwag as we marched them out of the house in front of their stunned neighbours and into a van we had called to take them all to the Factory (police station)."
- 4 A device or process that produces or manufactures something.
"Radio became a star factory for journalists."
- 5 A factory farm.
"chicken factory; pig factory"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 In a computer program or library, a function, method, etc. which creates an object.
"The task factory […] is the object that is responsible for creating instances of those tasks dynamically."
- 7 The original state of an electronic device, as it was when it came from the manufacturer. attributive
"factory settings; factory defaults; a factory reset"
- 8 The position or state of being a factor. Scotland, archaic
- 9 A trading establishment, especially set up by merchants working in a foreign country. historical
"We had here his curate, Mr. Furley, who had been nine years chaplain to the English factory at St. Petersburg […] ."
Adjective
- 1 Having come from the factory in the state it is currently in; original, stock. colloquial, not-comparable, usually
"See how there's another layer of metal there? That's not factory."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Thanks to the technological innovation, the maximum output of the factory has doubled."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "factory"?
Common synonyms include: armory, arsenal, assembly line, assembly plant, atomic energy plant, bindery.
How do you use "factory" in a sentence?
Thanks to the technological innovation, the maximum output of the factory has doubled.
How do you pronounce "factory"?
Pronounced /ˈfæk.tə.ɹi/.
Etymology
From factor + y. Compare Middle French factorie; Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria, Dutch factorij.