industry

American  

[in-duh-stree] / ˈɪn də stri /

noun

plural

industries

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

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

Etymology

Origin of industry

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

Example Sentences

Synthetic materials are widely used across science, engineering, and industry, but most are designed to perform only a narrow range of tasks.

From Science Daily

And, it keeps barriers up to give corporations the upper hand in the industry.

From Salon

He’s drawn parallels to Geico, the auto insurer that Berkshire Hathaway invested and then grew into a leader in the industry.

From MarketWatch

Avocados From Mexico had predicted back in early January that favorable weather patterns, steady rainfall and the avocado industry’s continued investment in best practices would lead to excellent-quality Mexican avocados.

From MarketWatch

The latest month was marked by a further drop in employment in manufacturing, an industry that has borne the brunt of trade uncertainty and U.S. tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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