industrial

1 of 2

adjective

in·​dus·​tri·​al in-ˈdə-strē-əl How to pronounce industrial (audio)
Synonyms of industrialnext
1
: of or relating to industry
industrial development
He had an industrial accident. [=an accident at work]
2
: engaged in industry
the industrial classes
3
: characterized by highly developed industries
an industrial nation/region/city
4
: used in or developed for use in industry
industrial diamonds
also : heavy-duty
an industrial cleaner
5
: derived from human industry
industrial wealth
industrially adverb

industrial

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: one that is employed in industry
b
: a company engaged in industrial production or service
2
: a stock or bond issued by an industrial corporation or enterprise

Examples of industrial in a Sentence

Adjective There are thousands of industrial uses for plastic.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
In these environments, humanoid robots are expected to perform repetitive or physically demanding tasks that are difficult to automate using conventional industrial robots. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026 The Navy effectively stopped building ships at the close of the cold war and the sophisticated industrial base supporting ship construction – both the skilled workforce and the supply chain – withered for more than a generation. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Utilities, insurance, telecoms, and oil and gas stocks led gains, while technology stocks and industrials lagged the broader index. Hugh Leask,joseph Wilkins,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026 Has American civilian industrial might been transferred over to war production to support the military members in harm’s way? Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for industrial

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of industrial was in 1600

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Industrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrial. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

industrial

adjective
in·​dus·​tri·​al
in-ˈdəs-trē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or engaged in industry
2
: having highly developed industries
an industrial nation
3
: coming from or used in industry
industrial diamonds
industrially
-trē-ə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on industrial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster