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

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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.
It's also reported that the agent fabricated more than 4,000 fake users and initially claimed the damage could not be rolled back. — Ofer Klein, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Even worse, Vaid said the rise of sophisticated digital tools means invoices can easily be fabricated. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 June 2026 Bramshill called Nieporte’s claims fabricated and said he isn’t owed any money, adding that his termination was due to dereliction of duty, according to the Journal. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2026 But when almost anyone can fabricate a visually similar image in seconds from a text prompt using artificial intelligence, how do people decide which image is real? — Nan Li, The Conversation, 22 June 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

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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 7 Jul. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on fabricate

Nglish: Translation of fabricate for Spanish Speakers

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