industrial
in-DUSS-tree-ul
/ɪnˈdʌstriəl/
Relating to or characterized by industry, especially the period following the Industrial Revolution.
Often implies large-scale manufacturing, machinery, and urban development.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'industria', meaning 'diligence' or 'activity'. For centuries, it meant being hard-working. It wasn't until the late 18th century that it was applied to the collective manufacturing power of a nation.
Word relationships
- manufacturing: Specifically refers to the making of goods, whereas industrial is broader.
- mechanical: Focuses on the machines themselves rather than the economic system.
- agrarian: Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land (farming).
Commonly confused with
- industrious: Industrious means hard-working (person); industrial refers to factories and manufacturing.
Word family
- industry (noun): Economic activity concerned with the processing of raw materials.
- industrialize (verb): To develop industries in a country or region on a wide scale.
Collocations
- Industrial Revolution
- industrial estate
- industrial waste
Example sentences
- "The industrial age saw a massive migration of people from rural farms to urban factories." Historical shift in labor.
- "The city's skyline is dominated by old industrial chimneys and warehouses." Describing a landscape.
Memory hook
Think of 'Dust' in a factory. In-DUST-rial. The era of the machine.
When not to use
Don't use it to describe small-scale, handmade crafts.
Fun facts
- The term 'Industrial Revolution' was popularized by Arnold Toynbee in the 1880s to describe Britain's economic development.
Related words
Explore more words
industrious, societal, spatial, daily, feedstock, analytical
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.