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.
The Italian telecommunications company, also known as TIM, said Saturday that its board viewed favorably the rationale and industrial prospects of the deal, and deemed the price to be fair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Chris Iveson is CEO of FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics, a platform for industrial businesses to gain production monitoring data.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Looking back on the process by which China since 2005 began to dominate global commerce, Tchir wonders if China is approaching the same moment in AI as it was then with industrial and consumer goods?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
More than 10,000 short-chain and long-chain industrial chemicals are classified as PFAS.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Soon enough, I reached that area of the riverfront known as Smokey Hollow, an industrial labyrinth of factories and workshops.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
