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
5
: derived from human industry
industrial wealth
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
Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2026
It was ranked in the top 1% of counties in the nation for cancer risk from stationary industrial air pollutants in a 2018 EPA report.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
If the current oil supply shortage begins to abate and tankers begin to transit the Strait of Hormuz once again, Morgan Stanley expects the consumer discretionary, financials and short-cycle industrials sectors will outperform.
—Justin Zacks, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for industrial
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Adjective
At the same time, the nation’s weapons manufacturers—part of what is known inside the Beltway as the defense-industrial base, or DIB—have grown cautious after years of fast-shifting congressional priorities.
—Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2026
It was ranked in the top 1% of counties in the nation for cancer risk from stationary industrial air pollutants in a 2018 EPA report.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
Since the end of February, the three major stock market indices — the Standard & Poor’s 500, the Dow Jones industrials and the Nasdaq composite — have fallen by a few percentage points.
—Michael Hiltzik, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
If the current oil supply shortage begins to abate and tankers begin to transit the Strait of Hormuz once again, Morgan Stanley expects the consumer discretionary, financials and short-cycle industrials sectors will outperform.
—Justin Zacks, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for industrial
Cite this Entry
“Industrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrial. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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