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
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.
Published Aug. 5 in Nature, the work could offer a way to address two separate environmental problems at once: the difficulty of recycling PVC and the need to produce valuable industrial lubricants more sustainably.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, those efforts have made the war’s front line feel a world away from Moscow, as residents enjoy the bubble of parks, new restaurants and converted industrial spaces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
BBC News understands that an Amazon delivery facility based in the industrial estate has not been directly impacted by the fire, but staff have been evacuated as precaution.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Of course the tigers sometimes caught them, or a snake bit them, but on the other hand they didn’t have to deal with automobile accidents and industrial pollution.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
