industry

[ in-duh-stree ]

noun

, plural in·dus·tries

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 Words From

• inter·indus·try adjective
• mini-indus·try noun plural miniindustries
• non·indus·try adjective
• pre·indus·try noun adjective
• pro·indus·try adjective
• subindus·try noun plural subindustries
• super·indus·try noun plural superindustries

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

Justice’s companies have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for those violations, which are fairly common and seen as a cost of doing business in the coal industry.

From ProPublica

In this analogy, each year represents seven years in this industry — because they are very intense ones.

From Eater

Nonetheless, the coronavirus crisis is likely to lead to long-term changes for the TV and streaming industry.

From Digiday

He bolstered the sales staff and set out after new customers in finance, healthcare, and other industries.

From Fortune

Investors and consultants said the dispute troubled them, especially given Murray’s status at the firm and in the financial industry overall.

From Fortune

The fashion industry could never, would never, state its exclusion of black models overtly.

From The Daily Beast

But now his politics were offending the progressive sensibilities of the American film industry.

From The Daily Beast

The airline industry objects that sometimes these deployable recorders can pop out without cause, spreading needless alarm.

From The Daily Beast

Religious profiteering has spread beyond the tourism industry.

From The Daily Beast

In 2015 I am looking forward to working with more people in the industry and doing crazier and crazier scenes!

From The Daily Beast

His superior talents and untiring industry were under the direction of philanthropic and Christian impulses.

From Project Gutenberg

But for the most part even industry and endowment were powerless against the inertia of custom and the dead-weight of environment.

From Project Gutenberg

Here and there exceptional industry or extraordinary capacity raised the artisan to wealth and turned the "man" into the "master."

From Project Gutenberg

Peace, also—or peace under the old conditions of industry—is infinitely wasteful of human energy.

From Project Gutenberg

Industrial society, they say, must be reorganized from top to bottom; private industry must cease.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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