mass production

IPA/ˌmæs prəˈdʌkʃn/
IPA/ˌmæs prəˈdʌkʃn/

mass production — noun

1. making a very large number of the same product in a factory, using machines and

1.nounB2
Definition

making a very large number of the same product in a factory, using machines and standardised processes so that each item costs less to produce

Example

Anjali's factory switched to mass production, cutting the cost of each toy by half.

collocation: switch to mass production

Elena thinks mass production helped her company grow from a workshop into a large factory.

mass production + helped [someone] + infinitive

Common collocations
  • mass production of [product]
  • mass production line
  • mass production system
  • mass production process
  • mass production method
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mass production + of + [product]

switch to / adopt / introduce mass production

Usage Note

Frequently used as an uncountable noun without an article. Often paired with verbs indicating a change in method, such as 'switch to,' 'adopt,' 'introduce,' or 'move to.'

Common Mistakes

Massive production of cars has increased.
Mass production of cars has increased.
'Massive' means 'very large in size or amount,' but 'mass production' is a fixed compound noun referring to a specific factory method, not just large-scale output.
The company mass production cars.
The company mass-produces cars.' or 'The company uses mass production for cars.
'Mass production' is a noun, not a verb. The verb form is 'mass-produce.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe large-scale output, but they differ in scope and emphasis. 'Mass production' is the broadest term — it covers any factory-based system that turns out huge numbers of identical goods at low unit cost. 'Mass-manufacturing' is near-synonymous but leans slightly more technical, often used in engineering contexts. 'High-volume production' focuses on quantity rather than method; a publisher printing 100,000 copies of a novel is doing high-volume production, but the process is not typically called 'mass production.' 'Assembly-line production' is a specific subtype — it refers to the moving conveyor-belt method where each worker adds one part. Henry Ford's Model-T factory is the classic example. 'Batch production' is the opposite of continuous mass production: goods are made in groups (batches) with breaks between, common in bakeries or pharmaceutical plants. For example, a bakery that bakes 500 loaves at a time uses batch production, not mass production, because the line stops between batches.

mass-manufacturinghigh-volume productionassembly-line productionbatch production

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • switch to mass production
  • move to mass production
  • mass production of [goods]
  • the age of mass production

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The phrase 'mass production' combines 'mass' (meaning 'large quantity,' from Latin 'massa' meaning 'lump' or 'batch') with 'production' (from Latin 'producere' — 'to bring forth'). The term came into widespread use in the early 20th century, especially after Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line in 1913. Before then, the idea of producing goods in enormous quantities was less common, so no single phrase existed for it. 'Mass production' was coined to describe the new industrial method that combined standardised parts, specialised machinery, and a continuous workflow.

First known use

1873

1873, in the meaning defined above