- production
- noun
1 (U) the process of making or growing things to be sold as products, or the amount that is produced: The production of consumer goods has increased throughout the world. | Smoking is banned in the factory's production areas. | production costs/manager/process etc: Production costs for the plane were too high. | go into (full) production (=begin to be produced in large numbers): The prototype engines never went into production2 (U) the act or process of making something new, or of bringing something into existence: The skin's natural production of oil slows down as we get older.3 (C) something produced by skill or imagination, especially a play, film, or broadcast: the new Shakespeare production at the Arts Theatre4 (U) the act of showing something: Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket.5 make a production (out) of sth informal to do something in a way that takes more effort than is necessary: They only want a sandwich, Bella, don't make a production out of it!USAGE NOTE: PRODUCTION WORD CHOICE: production, product, produce, producer. Production (U) is the process in which things are made, usually with the help of people, or in a factory: We need to increase production (NOT the production). | mass production of computers A production (C) is a play, film etc made for the theatre, television, or radio etc: a new production of `King Lear' A product (C) is something that is made to be sold, often in a factory, or a natural substance like wood, coal etc that is taken from the ground or land to sell: Glaxo produces a lot of pharmaceutical products. | food products such as cakes and ketchup | The country's main products are timber, coal and sugar. Product can also be used to show where something is made, for example on a whiskey bottle you might see: Product of Scotland In business, selling and advertising language, a wider range of things are beginning to be called products. For example a life insurance company might call the services it sells its products. Produce (U) (which is pronounced differently from the verb) is a general word for food grown, especially on farms, and sold without being changed much: He works in the produce section at the local supermarket. If a person, company or country produces something, they are a producer (C): Brazil, the world's most important producer of coffee.
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.