Synonym Chooser

How is the word industry distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of industry are business, commerce, trade, and traffic. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

When might business be a better fit than industry?

While the synonyms business and industry are close in meaning, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

How do commerce and trade relate to one another, in the sense of industry?

Both commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

When could traffic be used to replace industry?

The meanings of traffic and industry largely overlap; however, traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of industry The second story follows the journey of Tateh (Brandon Uranowitz), the Latvian immigrant and his Little Girl (Tabitha Lawing), from New York’s tenements to factory exploitation in a mill town to his re-invention as a populist filmmaker in a nascent industry. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025 Beyond the megagym Though climbing’s rising popularity shows little sign of slowing, the industry faces its share of ongoing challenges. Kelli María Korducki, HubSpot, 17 Oct. 2025 The broad fear when Pitchfork was subsumed into GQ was that a glossy fashion magazine’s coziness with the entertainment industry would be at odds with a music-reviewing site’s prerogative to trash bad albums. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025 Celebrating its 36th year, Latin Music Week is the largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for industry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for industry
Noun
  • Smaller efforts popped up in Greenland over the years, but nothing came to fruition.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Supporting the Army’s next phase The M-SHORAD Increment 4 effort is a major part of the Army’s broader modernization strategy.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • They are known for their excellent diligence and for running many of the most successful campaigns.
    Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Turner hasn’t forgotten the diligence his younger teammate showed throughout what could have been a frustrating period of his career.
    Jay King, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For his part, Elliott has impressed Villa personnel with his attitude and application, which chimes with Emery’s coaching staff’s uber-meticulous professional standards.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • As Vice Chair of the IEEE Quantum Computing Standards Project, she’s involved in setting global frameworks and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of new applications for groundbreaking technology.
    Big Think, Big Think, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Robeson’s persistence against state harassment illustrated how resistance to civil liberties violations can protect and preserve basic citizenship rights, including the right to travel.
    Time, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Ellis’s recognition has grown in recent years, thanks to the care of his friend Allen Frame and to the persistence of those who refused to let his images disappear.
    Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • These indestructible treasures have always been buried in matter, awaiting the invention of scanning electron microscopes and scientists with enough assiduity to spend decades on end peering into their atomic eyes.
    Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Lee is hardly the first biographer to be wooed by the allure of her subject; to risk being squashed by the weight of her research; or to concede that, despite her assiduity, much will elude her grasp.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2021

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Cite this Entry

“Industry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/industry. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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