machinery

noun

ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshē-nə-rē How to pronounce machinery (audio)
-ˈshēn-rē
plural machineries
Synonyms of machinerynext
1
a
: machines in general or as a functioning unit
b
: the working parts of a machine
2
: the means or system by which something is kept in action or a desired result is obtained
the machinery of government

Synonyms of machinery

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Examples of machinery in a Sentence

Some of the mill's machinery was damaged in the fire. a piece of farm machinery Something was clogging the machinery. The United Nations has set up machinery for mediation.
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.
HaberTurk news channel showed heavy machinery removing chunks of rock from the foot of the formation. — CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 Despite an occasional groan of narrative machinery, Vavrek ably repaces Saunders’s story line and carries its texty voices into song. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026 Its trade pact with Canada, signed Tuesday, is expected to boost exports to the emirates in aerospace, cereals, machinery, and vehicles. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026 In diving into the global web of handlers, financial intermediaries and money launderers bolstering the fake identities, investigators discovered key parts of that machinery operating in Russia. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for machinery

Word History

Etymology

machine entry 1 + -ery

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of machinery was in 1731

Rhymes for machinery

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Browse Nearby Words

machine room
machinery
machine screw
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Cite this Entry

“Machinery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machinery. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

machinery

noun
ma·​chin·​ery mə-ˈshēn-(ə-)rē How to pronounce machinery (audio)
plural machineries
1
: machines in general
2
: the working parts of a machine or instrument
3
: the organization or system by which something is done or carried on
machinery of government

More from Merriam-Webster on machinery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about machinery

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