'production' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'productio' (from 'producere'), where 'pro-' meant 'forth' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead.'

'production' changed from Latin 'productio' into Middle French/Old French forms and entered English (modern sense established by the 16th–17th century) as 'production.'

Initially, it meant 'a bringing forth' or 'the act of leading forth,' but over time it evolved into current senses including 'the act or process of producing,' 'manufactured output,' and 'a created work (e.g., a play or film).'