industrial

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adjective in·dus·tri·al \in-ˈdə-strē-əl\

Definition of industrial

1 : of or relating to industry
2 : derived from human industry industrial wealth
3 : engaged in industry the industrial classes
4 : used in or developed for use in industry industrial diamonds; also : heavy-duty an industrial zipper
5 : characterized by highly developed industries an industrial nation

industrially

play \in-ˈdə-strē-ə-lē\ adverb

See industrial defined for English-language learners

See industrial defined for kids

Examples of industrial in a Sentence

There are thousands of industrial uses for plastic.

Recent Examples of industrial from the Web

The study canvassed more than 1,200 companies and 11,300 workers in Guangdong, China’s biggest manufacturing province, and Hubei, a major industrial base in central China.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Robots Displace Workers as Wage Spiral Pressures Profits", 2 July 2017
The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index eked out tiny gains, while the Nasdaq composite closed essentially flat.

— alex veiga, The Seattle Times, "Industrial companies lead US stock indexes mostly higher", 30 June 2017
His senior year at NKU, Alexander took a sales job selling industrial pipe fittings.

— adam baum, Cincinnati.com, "Clovernook names popular local golf pro new general manager", 30 June 2017
Sulfur dioxide: The largest source in the atmosphere is from burning fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Hey, there's an app for that: Asthma attack risk covers much of Louisville", 28 June 2017
The industrial space is relaxed, and the garage doors are often open in the sun.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "The Best Brewery and Beer Bar in New York City", 27 June 2017
The interior doors match the windows on the outside of the house, creating a cohesive industrial design.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "EXCLUSIVE: A First-Look at a Stunningly Modern "Fixer Upper" Home for Sale", 23 June 2017
Once Gabrielino-Tongva stomping grounds, the parcel later became a thriving rail depot and, eventually, a hotly contested strip of brownfield slated for industrial development.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "The 54 Best Things To Do in Downtown L.A. Right Now", 20 June 2017
The state’s technical colleges work closely with the Wisconsin DWD to create programs where there is need in the industrial, construction and service sectors.

— Washington Post, "Trump puts focus on Wisconsin’s growing apprentice program", 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'industrial'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of industrial

1600

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

industrial

noun in·dus·tri·al

Definition of industrial

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

First Known Use of industrial

1831

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

INDUSTRIAL Defined for English Language Learners

industrial

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adjective

Definition of industrial for English Language Learners

: of or relating to industry : of or relating to factories, the people who work in factories, or the things made in factories
: having a developed industry : having factories that actively make a product
: coming from or used in industry : made or used in factories; also : stronger than most other products of its kind