Word

machinery

noun C1

/məˈʃiːnəɹi/

Meanings

noun

machines and mechanical equipment, especially used for industrial or agricultural work

noun

the systems and processes that make an organization or activity work

Definition

Machinery refers to machines, especially the connected equipment used to do work in industry or farming.

Machinery is a collective word for machines and mechanical equipment used to perform tasks, often in factories, construction, or agriculture. It commonly refers to heavy or complex equipment rather than small tools. In a wider sense, it can also mean the systems and processes that make an organization operate.

Examples

The plant replaced outdated machinery to cut downtime and improve reliability.
After the storm, they inspected the machinery on the farm before restarting the harvest.
She learned how the machinery works so she could troubleshoot issues without waiting for a technician.
The report describes the machinery of government as slow but remarkably resilient under pressure.

Common mistake

Learners often treat "machinery" as countable (e.g., "two machineries") instead of using "machines" or "pieces of machinery."