factory farm

noun

: a large industrialized farm
especially : a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost
factory farming noun

Examples of factory farm in a Sentence

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.
Many of the chickens and turkeys here are rescues from factory farms, where they were raised on hormones designed to plump them up as much as possible. — Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026 There’s also an important educational factor, whether learning about the conditions in factory farms or that turkeys are more than just centerpieces. — Hallie Golden, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025 There's also an important educational factor, whether learning about the conditions in factory farms or that turkeys are more than just centerpieces. — CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025 It will be used to invalidate our state laws and perpetuate a system of animal cruelty that predominantly serves the interests of factory farms. — John Cleveland, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for factory farm

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of factory farm was in 1851

Rhymes for factory farm

See All Rhymes for factory farm

Browse Nearby Words

factory committee
factory farm
factory lumber
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Factory farm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factory%20farm. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All