Meaning & use
semi-finished products
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Meaning
nounpluraltechnical
Goods that have been partly processed but still need further work before they are finished products.
Grammar: Usually plural in general use; the singular 'semi-finished product' refers to one item.
Patterns
- semi-finished products for something
- produce semi-finished products
- export semi-finished products
The factory turns raw steel into semi-finished products such as sheets and bars.
Many countries export semi-finished products rather than finished goods.
These semi-finished products will be assembled into cars at another plant.
Word forms
| singular | semi-finished product |
|---|
Common combinations
- produce semi-finished products
- The plant produces semi-finished products for the furniture industry.
- export semi-finished products
- They export semi-finished products to assembly factories abroad.
- semi-finished products such as
- Semi-finished products such as metal sheets are easy to transport.
- turn something into semi-finished products
- The mill turns logs into semi-finished products like boards.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intermediate goods
- This is the more formal economic term for goods used in producing other goods.
- work in progress
- This refers to items still being made within a company, not goods sold on to other businesses.
Opposites
Word family
- semi-finished adjective
- partly made or processed
Commonly confused: semi-finished products or finished products?
semi-finished products vs finished products
Finished products are ready to sell or use; semi-finished products still need more processing.
Practice
A steel sheet that will later be shaped into a car door is an example of ___.
Choose one answer.
It has been partly processed but is not yet a finished product, so 'semi-finished product' fits. 'Raw material' would describe the iron ore before processing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semi-finished products”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.