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industrial

[in-duhs-tree-uh l]
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adjective
  1. of, pertaining to, of the nature of, or resulting from industry: industrial production; industrial waste.
  2. having many and highly developed industries: an industrial nation.
  3. engaged in an industry or industries: industrial workers.
  4. of or relating to the workers in industries: industrial training.
  5. used in industry: industrial diamonds: industrial fabrics.
  6. noting or pertaining to industrial life insurance.
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noun
  1. an industrial product: diamonds classed as industrials and nonindustrials.
  2. a company engaged in industrial enterprises.
  3. an employee in some industry, especially a manufacturing industry.
  4. industrials, stocks and bonds of industrial companies.
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Origin of industrial

First recorded in 1580–90; industry + -al1
Related formsin·dus·tri·al·ly, adverbin·dus·tri·al·ness, nounnon·in·dus·tri·al, adjectivenon·in·dus·tri·al·ly, adverbpre·in·dus·tri·al, adjectivepro·in·dus·tri·al, adjectivequa·si-in·dus·tri·al, adjectivequa·si-in·dus·tri·al·ly, adverbsem·i-in·dus·tri·al, adjectivesem·i-in·dus·tri·al·ly, adverbun·in·dus·tri·al, adjective
Can be confusedindustrial industrious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for industrials

Historical Examples

  • He reduces them to three groups: industrials, artists, and scientists (savants).

    Elements of Morals

    Paul Janet

  • With pleasure and relief he turned from the Industrials to the Soldiers.

    The Soul of Susan Yellam

    Horace Annesley Vachell

  • It yielded pasturage to two sets of industrials—sheep and bees.

  • Once he had owned a hundred shares of one of the Industrials.

    By the Light of the Soul

    Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

  • It was a period of expansion and confidence; much money was seeking investment and "Industrials" were the fashion.

    Tono Bungay

    H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for industrials

industrials

pl n
  1. stocks, shares, and bonds of industrial enterprises
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industrial

adjective
  1. of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of industry
  2. employed in industrythe industrial workforce
  3. relating to or concerned with workers in industryindustrial conditions
  4. used in industryindustrial chemicals
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Derived Formsindustrially, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for industrials

industrial

adj.

1774, from French industriel, from Medieval Latin industrialis, from Latin industria (see industry). Earlier the word had been used in English in a sense "resulting from labor" (1580s); the modern use is considered a reborrowing. Meaning "suitable for industrial use" is from 1904. As a style of dance music, attested from 1988. Industrial revolution was in use by 1840 to refer to recent developments and changes in England and elsewhere.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper