industrial
Americanadjective
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of, pertaining to, of the nature of, or resulting from industry.
industrial production; industrial waste.
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having many and highly developed industries.
an industrial nation.
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engaged in an industry or industries.
industrial workers.
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of or relating to the workers in industries.
industrial training.
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used in industry.
industrial diamonds: industrial fabrics.
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noting or pertaining to industrial life insurance.
adjective
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of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of industry
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employed in industry
the industrial workforce
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relating to or concerned with workers in industry
industrial conditions
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used in industry
industrial chemicals
Other Word Forms
- industrially adverb
- industrialness noun
- nonindustrial adjective
- nonindustrially adverb
- preindustrial adjective
- proindustrial adjective
- quasi-industrial adjective
- quasi-industrially adverb
- semi-industrial adjective
- semi-industrially adverb
- unindustrial adjective
Etymology
Origin of industrial
Explanation
Something industrial has to do with industry or factories. If you're taking a stroll alone at night, avoid the industrial areas — there aren't many people around after business hours and it can be kind of spooky. Industrial, besides meaning "having to do with industry," has also come to mean "tough," capable of withstanding wear and tear. If you're carpeting your home, avoid industrial carpet. It's easy to clean but not so soft. An industrial nation is a developed nation with manufacturing as part of its economy. If you work in the industrial sector, as opposed to say the arts sector, you work in manufacturing.
Vocabulary lists containing industrial
Eastern Europe - Introductory
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East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rates for residential customers have been rising faster than those for commercial or industrial customers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The Energy Department must assess the U.S. industrial base to produce up to four space reactors within five years.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
“We believe SES bolsters GFL’s positioning within the industrial and energy markets in Western Canada and North Dakota,” Dodge says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Within 60 days, the White House is directing the Energy Department to provide an assessment on the readiness of the U.S. nuclear reactor industrial base to produce “up to four space reactors within five years.”
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
When I see him next in industrial shop, I ask, “Did you get in trouble?”
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
