industry

American  

[in-duh-stree] / ˈɪn də stri /

noun

industries plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

noun

• industries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of industry

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

Explanation

An industry is a group of manufacturers or businesses that produce a particular kind of goods or services. Workers in the textile industry design, fabricate, and sell cloth. The tourist industry includes all the commercial aspects of tourism. You can use industry to refer to a group of similar businesses: The automobile industry makes cars and car parts. The food service industry prepares food and delivers it to hotels, schools, and other big facilities. Industry comes from the Latin industria, which means "diligence, hard work," and the word is still used with that meaning. If you build a house in three weeks, when the same job takes everyone else three months, you're showing impressive industry.

Example Sentences

Also in the near view is the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, named after the billionaire investor, philanthropist and mega Republican donor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

In 2013, the company collaborated with Yuval Sharon’s avant-garde opera company, the Industry, on a performance piece called “Invisible Cities” that took place throughout downtown’s bustling Union Station.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

City of Industry, in the San Gabriel Valley, and Vernon, south of downtown L.A., are primarily industrial areas, each with around 300 permanent residents.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Industry insiders highlight the steep costs involved in large productions, where locations, crew and equipment can cost more than $26,000 per day, creating pressure to maximise shooting time.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

“Your father’s younger brother Industry lives here,” Sister Gladys said.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

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