industrialization
Americannoun
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the large-scale introduction of manufacturing, advanced technical enterprises, and other productive economic activity into an area, society, country, etc.
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conversion to the methods, aims, and ideals of industry and economic activity, particularly of an area that was previously underdeveloped economically.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of industrialization
Explanation
Industrialization occurs when industry is introduced on a large scale to a region or country — for example, when an economy goes from being based on agriculture to being based on manufacturing and other industries. In Europe and the United States, industrialization occurred in the 1700s and 1800s, with the changes beginning in Britain. This period is called the Industrial Revolution. Textile manufacturing became mechanized, transportation (canals, railroads, and road systems) became more efficient, and steam power was introduced. Goods became more accessible and cheaper.
Vocabulary lists containing industrialization
The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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The United States
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American History II
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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.
Not only are the markets still relatively cheap, they are also home to companies seeing continued growth from the artificial-intelligence boom, as well as increased spending on defense and industrialization.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
The turn-of-the-century molds in his studio — which use botanic motifs, blossoming forms with metallic winged and floral attachments — look like desk toppers fit for an early 1900s eccentric obsessed with Darwinism and industrialization.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Toward the end of 2024, Lisa Drake, who was overseeing EV industrialization, was ready to order the factory equipment to build the new battery packs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
In a food system shaped by decades of industrialization, many of the connections people once had to food — to place, to ritual, to community — have weakened.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
This intersection of computers, telecommunications, and the military would yield a change arguably as significant and characteristic of modern life as anything in medicine and the industrialization of food.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
