factory

factory — noun

1. a site where products are created in large quantities, typically a big building

1.nounB1
Definition

a site where products are created in large quantities, typically a big building or several connected buildings with machinery

Example

The car factory in Hamza's town employs over two thousand workers.

noun modifier: car factory — [product] + factory

A fire broke out at the old textile factory near the river last night.

preposition: at a factory

Common collocations
  • car factory
  • textile factory
  • electronics factory
  • clothing factory
  • shoe factory
  • food factory
Synonyms
  • plant

    usually refers to a factory for heavy industry, chemicals, or power generation; more specific than 'factory'

  • mill

    a factory that processes raw materials such as paper, steel, wood, or flour

  • workshop

    a much smaller workplace where goods are made by hand rather than by machines

Grammar Patterns

[product] + factory

at / in a factory

Usage Note

Use 'at' when referring to the workplace (e.g. 'works at a factory') and 'in' when describing location inside the building (e.g. 'works in a factory making parts').

Common Mistakes

I work on a factory.
I work at a factory.
Use 'at' for the place where you are employed, not 'on'.
The factory make shoes.
The factory makes shoes.
'Factory' is singular and takes a singular verb.

2. a person, place, or organization that keeps producing a very large amount of som

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, place, or organization that keeps producing a very large amount of something, often something unwanted or of low quality

Example

The abandoned warehouse on Elm Street became a factory for counterfeit goods.

metaphorical: a factory for [undesirable thing]

That celebrity gossip blog is a non-stop factory of fake news and rumours.

Common collocations
  • factory of gossip
  • factory of rumours
  • factory of ideas
  • factory of cheap goods
  • factory of excuses
Synonyms
  • hotbed

    a place where a lot of a particular activity happens, almost always negative (e.g. 'a hotbed of crime')

  • source

    neutral term for the origin of something; broader and less dramatic than 'factory'

  • powerhouse

    a person or organization with great energy and output, usually positive or admiring in tone

Grammar Patterns

a factory of [something]

a factory for [something]

become a factory of [something]

Usage Note

This sense is often used critically to describe places or systems that produce too much of something undesirable, such as crime, pollution, low-quality goods, or misinformation. When used positively (e.g. 'a factory of ideas'), it can carry a slightly ironic or exaggerated tone.

Common Mistakes

The region is a factory of vegetables.
The region is a major producer of vegetables.
'Factory' sounds unnatural for agricultural products; use 'producer', 'grower', or 'supplier' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe places where things are produced, but they differ in size, industry, and typical use. A 'plant' usually refers to a large industrial site for heavy processes — chemical plants, power plants, or steel plants. A 'mill' processes raw materials like wood, paper, grain, or steel through grinding, rolling, or cutting. A 'workshop' is much smaller and often involves skilled handwork rather than automated assembly lines. 'Manufacturing facility' is a formal, broad term that covers any type of production site, from a small precision-engineering workshop to a massive car plant. For everyday use, 'factory' is the most general and commonly understood word. For example: 'My aunt works at a shoe factory in Taipei,' but 'The paper mill closed down last year' and 'He runs a small workshop repairing furniture.'

plant ↗mill ↗workshop ↗manufacturing facility

Common collocations

Nouns

  • factory worker
  • factory owner
  • factory manager
  • factory floor
  • factory gate

Phrases

  • work at a factory
  • open a factory
  • close a factory
  • run a factory
  • factory production line

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'factory' comes from the Latin 'factorium', meaning a place where something is made. It entered English in the late 1500s, at first referring to a trading station where merchants (called 'factors') did business. By the 1700s, during the Industrial Revolution, it shifted to mean a building where goods are produced using machines. The modern spelling and meaning became standard in the 1800s.