machinery
gb/məʃˈinɚi/ us/məʃˈinɚi/
B1
English
~ 5100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
machines and mechanical equipment
All the machines and mechanical equipment used for a job, especially big or heavy ones.
Usage pattern:
heavy machinery for [activity]
Common mistake:
Learners often say *"a machinery"* or *"many machineries"*. "Machinery" is an uncountable noun in this sense, so use it without "a", and usually without a plural: say "some machinery", "a piece of machinery", or "a lot of machinery". It is also sometimes confused with "machine"; use "machine" for one specific device and "machinery" for machines in general.
Synonyms
equipment (More general; includes non-mechanical items, not just machines.)
|
machines (Countable; refers to individual units rather than the whole set as one group.)
Antonyms
manual labor (Work done by hand or body, without using machines.)
Collocations
heavy machinery
|industrial machinery
|farm machinery
|construction machinery
|operate machinery
|machinery breakdown
Themes
technology
|work
|manufacturing
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The factory had to shut down after a fire damaged most of its machinery.
- New safety rules require regular checks on all farm machinery.
- The company invested heavily in modern machinery to increase production.
- You must be trained before you can operate this kind of heavy machinery.
- Old machinery in the plant is now being replaced with energy‑efficient models.
Learner examples
- The farmer bought new farm machinery.
- This company uses a lot of modern machinery.
- He does not like to work with heavy machinery.
- They stopped work because the machinery was broken.
- We need more machinery to make these products.
Noun
B2
entity
2
inner mechanical parts of a device
The moving parts inside a machine that make it work.
Usage pattern:
the machinery of [machine]
Synonyms
mechanism (Often more technical; can refer to a single system of parts rather than all the parts together.)
Antonyms
exterior (Refers to the outside surface or casing, not the working parts inside.)
Collocations
the inner machinery
|the machinery of the clock
|complex machinery
|delicate machinery
|repair the machinery
|grease the machinery
Themes
technology
|engineering
|science
Examples
- Dust had clogged the machinery of the printer, causing it to jam repeatedly.
- A small stone got into the machinery of the engine and damaged several parts.
- He took off the cover to examine the machinery of the old clock.
- The ship’s engineer checked the machinery below deck before departure.
- You can see the machinery of the lift through the glass panel.
Learner examples
- The watch stopped because the machinery inside is dirty.
- The mechanic opened the car to look at the machinery.
- Oil is needed to keep the machinery moving smoothly.
- A toy broke when sand got into its machinery.
- He studied the machinery of the small motor.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
system or organization that runs something
The official system and people that run a government, political party, or big organization.
Usage pattern:
the machinery of [institution]
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this sense as physical machines. In phrases like "the machinery of government" or "party machinery", it refers to the system and organization, not to actual machines.
Synonyms
apparatus (Very similar in formal, political contexts; slightly more abstract and often used for state or party structures.)
|
bureaucracy (Emphasizes officials and rules, often with a negative tone about inefficiency.)
Antonyms
grassroots (Emphasizes ordinary people and local action rather than formal top‑down structures.)
Collocations
the machinery of government
|political machinery
|party machinery
|administrative machinery
|bureaucratic machinery
|state machinery
Themes
politics
|business
|society
|law
Examples
- The report calls for major reforms in the machinery of government.
- Her campaign was supported by the full party machinery.
- Once the administrative machinery was in place, the program expanded quickly.
- Critics argue that the state machinery is being used to silence opponents.
- The company’s internal machinery failed to respond to early warning signs.
Learner examples
- We need to change the machinery of government.
- The party machinery supported his election.
- She knows how to use the political machinery to get results.
- The machinery of the company is very slow to act.
- Citizens do not trust the state machinery.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
4
underlying processes that make something happen
The hidden processes that make something work or make something happen, like the law or the mind.
Usage pattern:
the machinery of [process]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense always refers to physical machines. In expressions like "the machinery of justice" or "the machinery of the mind", it is about processes and systems, not real metal parts.
Synonyms
mechanism (Often interchangeable in abstract contexts, but slightly more technical and less figurative.)
Antonyms
randomness (Highlights the absence of organized processes leading to a result.)
Collocations
the machinery of justice
|the machinery of democracy
|the machinery of change
|the machinery of the mind
|set the machinery in motion
|the machinery of control
Themes
law
|psychology
|society
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The machinery of justice can move very slowly for ordinary people.
- Once fear enters the machinery of the mind, it is hard to remove.
- New laws have put the machinery of reform in motion.
- The book explains the social machinery that keeps inequality in place.
- She tried to understand the machinery of decision‑making inside large corporations.
Learner examples
- The machinery of justice is often slow.
- These rules are part of the machinery of democracy.
- Fear changes the machinery of the mind.
- The new policy started the machinery of change.
- He studies the machinery of how people make choices.
Grammar
Dictionary form
machinery
IPA
GB/məʃˈinɚi/
US/məʃˈinɚi/
Syllables & stress
ma - chinery (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (chinery)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: machinery
- Plural: machineries, machinery
Word family
Forms
machineries
noun
Core family
Related words
Advanced or less common
mechanization
noun
mechanized
adjective
Expressions
heavy machinery
1/hˈɛvi məʃˈinɚi/
fixed phrase
large powerful work machines
Very large and strong machines used for building, farming, mining, or other hard work.
Examples
- You must wear a hard hat near any heavy machinery on the site.
- The road was closed while heavy machinery was used to clear the landslide.
political machinery
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəl məʃˈinɚi/
fixed phrase
formal
organized system that controls politics
The powerful people and systems that control how politics and elections are run.
Examples
- He rose quickly through the party’s political machinery.
- Local activists felt ignored by the national political machinery.
set the machinery in motion
1/sˈɛt ðə məʃˈinɚi ˈɪn mˈoʊʃən/
idiom
start a process or series of actions
To start the actions or processes that will make something happen, often something official or complex.
Examples
- Her complaint set the machinery in motion for a full investigation.
- Signing the agreement set the machinery in motion for the merger.
the machinery of government
1/ðə məʃˈinɚi əv ɡˈʌvɚnmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
systems that operate a government
All the offices, people, and processes that make a government work.
Examples
- They promised to modernize the machinery of government to make it more efficient.
- The crisis exposed serious weaknesses in the machinery of government.
the machinery of justice
1/ðə məʃˈinɚi əv d͡ʒˈʌstɪs/
fixed phrase
formal
legal system’s working processes
All the courts, rules, and actions that make the law work in a country.
Examples
- For many victims, the machinery of justice feels slow and confusing.
- The book criticizes how the machinery of justice treats poor defendants.