manufactured

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Made goods in large quantities using machines and organized processes in a factory.

   Grammar: Takes an object: manufacture cars. Often used in the passive: The cars were manufactured in Japan.

   Patterns

   • manufacture something
   • be manufactured in a place
   • manufacture something from something

   The company manufactures smartphones in several countries.

   These shoes were manufactured in Vietnam.

   They manufacture parts for the aircraft industry.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Made in a factory by machine, not by hand or naturally.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: manufactured goods. Not usually used after a verb like 'be'.

   Patterns

   • manufactured goods
   • manufactured products
   • manufactured items

   The store sells both handmade and manufactured furniture.

   Cheap manufactured clothing often wears out quickly.

   They export manufactured goods to Europe.

3. 3adjectivebefore a noun

   Not real or sincere; invented to deceive people.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: manufactured excitement. Often describes feelings or situations that are faked.

   Patterns

   • manufactured enthusiasm
   • manufactured outrage
   • manufactured crisis

   The politician's manufactured anger didn't convince anyone.

   The band's manufactured image felt artificial.

   There was a sense of manufactured joy at the event.

Common combinations

manufactured goods

The country's economy depends on exporting manufactured goods.

manufactured in

This watch was manufactured in Switzerland.

manufactured housing

Manufactured housing is often cheaper than traditional homes.

manufactured crisis

Critics called the shortage a manufactured crisis.

Synonyms and how they differ

produced

More general; can refer to natural production (e.g., oil produced by wells) as well as factory goods.

fabricated

Often implies assembling parts, and can also mean 'invented' like manufactured in the deceptive sense.

assembled

Focuses on putting parts together rather than the whole industrial process.

Opposites

Word family

manufacture verb

To make goods in large quantities using machines.

manufacturer noun

A company or person that makes goods in large quantities.

manufacturing noun

The industry or process of making goods in factories.

Commonly confused: manufactured or manual?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “manufactured”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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