industry

American  

[in-duh-stree] / ˈɪn də stri /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of industry

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

Example Sentences

That led him to the petroleum industry, where working on oil rigs in the punishing North Sea and near conflict zones helped sate his risk appetite.

From The Wall Street Journal

The textile industry is the third-largest contributor to dry municipal solid waste in India - after plastics, and paper and cardboard - according to a recent report.

From BBC

Clifton Broumand, owner of a Maryland-based business that assembles waterproof keyboards and computer mouses for the healthcare industry, is looking to shift his purchases of silicone parts from China to Mexico to avoid tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal

What do these dual-tier pricing strategies suggest about current market valuations in the tech industry?

From The Wall Street Journal

Dozens of armed government agents swarmed the offices of shrimp producer Grupo Lamar, a family owned business that had emerged as one of Venezuela’s largest exporters after the collapse of the oil industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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