industry

American  

[in-duh-stree] / ˈɪn də stri /

noun

industries plural

1. the aggregate of manufacturing or technically productive enterprises in a particular field, often named after its principal product.

   the automobile industry;

   the steel industry.

2. any general business activity; commercial enterprise.

   the Italian tourist industry.

3. trade or manufacture in general.

   the rise of industry in Africa.

4. the ownership and management of companies, factories, etc..

   friction between labor and industry.

5. systematic work or labor.

6. energetic, devoted activity at any work or task; diligence.

   Her teacher praised her industry.

   Synonyms:

   industriousness, assiduity, effort, application

7. the aggregate of work, scholarship, and ancillary activity in a particular field, often named after its principal subject.

   the Mozart industry.

8. Archaeology. an assemblage of artifacts regarded as unmistakably the work of a single prehistoric group.

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industry British  

/ ˈɪndəstrɪ /

noun

1. organized economic activity concerned with manufacture, extraction and processing of raw materials, or construction

2. a branch of commercial enterprise concerned with the output of a specified product or service

   the steel industry

3. 1. industrial ownership and management interests collectively, as contrasted with labour interests

   2. manufacturing enterprise collectively, as opposed to agriculture

4. diligence; assiduity

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proindustry
  adjective
• nonindustry
  adjective
• superindustry
  noun
• interindustry
  adjective
• subindustry
  noun
• mini-industry
  noun
• preindustry
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• industries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of industry

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier industrie, from Latin industria, noun use of feminine of industrius “diligent, assiduous”; see industrious

Explanation

An industry is a group of manufacturers or businesses that produce a particular kind of goods or services. Workers in the textile industry design, fabricate, and sell cloth. The tourist industry includes all the commercial aspects of tourism. You can use industry to refer to a group of similar businesses: The automobile industry makes cars and car parts. The food service industry prepares food and delivers it to hotels, schools, and other big facilities. Industry comes from the Latin industria, which means "diligence, hard work," and the word is still used with that meaning. If you build a house in three weeks, when the same job takes everyone else three months, you're showing impressive industry.

Example Sentences

In 2013, the company collaborated with Yuval Sharon’s avant-garde opera company, the Industry, on a performance piece called “Invisible Cities” that took place throughout downtown’s bustling Union Station.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Brooks recently notched 200 million albums sold, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, surpassing the Beatles for most units sold in U.S. history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Supporters are hoping the vote will set a precedent for the rest of the region, where residents are fighting proposals in Vernon and City of Industry.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Industry insiders highlight the steep costs involved in large productions, where locations, crew and equipment can cost more than $26,000 per day, creating pressure to maximise shooting time.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The ten-hour people were putting out a weekly newspaper, The Voice of Industry.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• business
• commerce
• corporation
• management
• production
• trade