fabricate

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-bri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating
Synonyms of fabricate

transitive verb

1
a
: invent, create
b
: to make up for the purpose of deception
accused of fabricating evidence
2
: construct, manufacture
specifically : to construct from diverse and usually standardized parts
Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic parts.
fabricator
ˈfa-bri-ˌkā-tər How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
noun

Synonyms of fabricate

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of fabricate in a Sentence

Only the largest parts were fabricated at the factory. Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic materials. a story fabricated to sell magazines She was accused of fabricating data.
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.
Much of his identity appears to have been fabricated — including his name. — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Soft fibers track movement The researchers fabricated optical fibers using a flexible rubber core surrounded by black rubber cladding. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026 Especially now, younger kids are so immersed in social media and people are trying to fabricate themselves or polish and airbrush their lives and appearances. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel accused Ethiopia on Wednesday of fabricating allegations to justify military action against his country. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fabricate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fabricaten, borrowed from Latin fabricātus, past participle of fabricāre, fabricārī "to fashion, shape, construct," derivative of fabrica "process of making something, craft, art" — more at fabric

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fabricate was in the 15th century

Rhymes for fabricate

See All Rhymes for fabricate

Browse Nearby Words

fabricant
fabricate
fabrication
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fabricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabricate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating
1
: invent sense 2, create
2
: to make up in order to deceive
fabricated evidence to support her claim
3
: construct sense 1, manufacture
fabrication
ˌfab-ri-ˈkā-shən
noun
fabricator
ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt-ər How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-brə-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

: to make up (as testimony) with an intent to deceive

intransitive verb

: to make something up with an intent to deceive
there was a motive to fabricate—Gary Taylor
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All