industrialism
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of industrialism
First recorded in 1825–35; industrial + -ism
Explanation
Industrialism is a system that depends heavily on manufacturing goods, rather than farming or making things by hand. Industrialism is the economic system of a society that has transitioned away from an agrarian economy (mostly based on growing and selling crops) to one that relies on industry. Industrialism tends to increase a country’s wealth as more money is made from manufacturing plants and big factories, and it makes cheaper goods more widely available. However, large-scale industry can also create hazardous working conditions and pollution. The Latin root of industrialism means "hard work."
Vocabulary lists containing industrialism
Chapter 23: Political and Industrial Revolutions
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 2
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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 soot-blackened Philadelphia he encountered, then in a state of urban decay, sparked his lifelong fascination with industrialism, destitution and the macabre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Down on the ground the reality of industrialism was starkly different.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Status quo waste management is just like status quo industrialism.
From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2022
Sherrell does not offer statistics to support his assertions about the environmental impact of industrialism, colonialism and capitalism.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 5, 2021
In England, a new industrialism was growing, and on the continent, a new nationalism.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
