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industrialism

American  
[in-duhs-tree-uh-liz-uhm] / ɪnˈdʌs tri əˌlɪz əm /

noun

  1. an economic organization of society built largely on mechanized industry rather than agriculture, craftsmanship, or commerce.


industrialism British  
/ ɪnˈdʌstrɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. an organization of society characterized by large-scale mechanized manufacturing industry rather than trade, farming, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overindustrialism noun

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing industrialism

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.

Status quo waste management is just like status quo industrialism.

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2022

The result: an icon of industrialism grudgingly admired around the globe.

From Reuters • Jul. 8, 2022

Sometimes, modernists were distinctly “modern” in glorifying industrialism and technology, while other times they were modern in that they were experimenting with entirely novel approaches to creation.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

He was aware of the environmental changes of 20th-century America, the loss of elms and chestnut trees, the depredations of industrialism and the cruel expendability of human beings caught in its maw.

From Washington Post • Jan. 1, 2020

In England, a new industrialism was growing, and on the continent, a new nationalism.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov