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

Similarly, as relentless engineering innovation makes electric vehicles cheaper and more reliable than petrol-powered ones, attempting to slow such an energy transition is likely to make the U.S. auto industry uncompetitive, at home and abroad.

From Salon

Originally developed by the pharmaceutical industry in the 1950s as a painkiller, clinical trials were abandoned amid concerns about their harmful effects.

From BBC

"There is an awful lot of anguish out there. It feels like our culture and our industry is going to be taken out of business."

From BBC

How to regulate the sex industry remains a divisive issue globally.

From BBC

People within the industry claim the changing target has sent out mixed messages and confused consumers, leading some people to delay buying an electric car until the situation becomes clearer.

From BBC

Related Words

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