industrialism
Americannoun
noun
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."
Vocabulary lists containing industrialism
Chapter 23: Political and Industrial Revolutions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary Review, Unit 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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
![]()
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.