industrial

1 of 2

adjective

in·​dus·​tri·​al in-ˈdə-strē-əl 

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

in-ˈdə-strē-ə-lē 

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

Adjective

The need for such systems is growing as electrification, industrial electricity demand, and data centers put additional pressure on power networks. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026

Peter remembers chicken wings, the foul Lower Manhattan air, and buying an industrial respirator at a hardware store. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

There have been rotations into the sleepier parts of the market, such as industrials, healthcare, and energy, all solidly in the green. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

The boxy silhouette in white is also versatile enough to blend into a range of design styles, from an industrial to a farmhouse aesthetic. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing industrial

• agro-industrial
• industrial action
• industrial archaeology
• industrial arts
• industrial engineering
• industrial estate
• industrial melanism
• industrial park
• industrial psychology
• industrial relations
• industrial revolution
• industrial school
• industrial sociology
• industrial-strength
• industrial union
• military-industrial complex
• pre-industrial
• prison-industrial complex

Rhymes for industrial

• nonindustrial
• postindustrial
• preindustrial

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