industry

[in-duh-stree]

noun

plural

industries 

1. the aggregate of manufacturing or technically productive enterprises in a particular field, often named after its principal product.

   the automobile industry;

   the steel industry.

2. any general business activity; commercial enterprise.

   the Italian tourist industry.

3. trade or manufacture in general.

   the rise of industry in Africa.

4. the ownership and management of companies, factories, etc..

   friction between labor and industry.

5. systematic work or labor.

6. energetic, devoted activity at any work or task; diligence.

   Her teacher praised her industry.

   Synonyms: industriousness, assiduity, effort, application

7. the aggregate of work, scholarship, and ancillary activity in a particular field, often named after its principal subject.

   the Mozart industry.

8. Archaeology.,  an assemblage of artifacts regarded as unmistakably the work of a single prehistoric group.

industry

/ ˈɪndəstrɪ /

noun

1. organized economic activity concerned with manufacture, extraction and processing of raw materials, or construction

2. a branch of commercial enterprise concerned with the output of a specified product or service

   the steel industry

3. 1. industrial ownership and management interests collectively, as contrasted with labour interests

   2. manufacturing enterprise collectively, as opposed to agriculture

4. diligence; assiduity

Other Word Forms

• interindustry adjective
• mini-industry noun
• nonindustry adjective
• preindustry noun
• proindustry adjective
• subindustry noun
• superindustry noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of industry¹

First recorded in 1475–85; earlier industrie, from Latin industria, noun use of feminine of industrius “diligent, assiduous”; industrious

Word History and Origins

Origin of industry¹

C15: from Latin industria diligence, from industrius active, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Ms. Waller-Bridge was almost as funny as Jean Smart in “Hacks,” which lost the Emmy to Seth Rogen’s wobbly vehicle “The Studio,” another example of the industry stroking itself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The saga that has ensued is a window into the inanities that today govern the $19 billion industry known as college sports.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We are outperforming our industry with an offer that is clearly resonating with our customers,” Miller said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

RealPage increased its lobbying efforts in Washington last year, and the broader apartment industry lobby has continued to defend the use of price-setting tools.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

AI exclusions could become an industry standard next year.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• business 
• commerce 
• corporation 
• management 
• production 
• trade