industrialize

verb

in·​dus·​tri·​al·​ize in-ˈdə-strē-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce industrialize (audio)
industrialized; industrializing

transitive verb

: to make industrial
industrialize an agricultural region

intransitive verb

: to become industrial

Examples of industrialize in a Sentence

The government hopes to industrialize some of the agricultural regions.
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.
Increasingly integrated by Southern Black migrants toward the turn of the 20th century, the neighborhood rapidly industrialized into a hub of factories and slaughterhouses, and became known for the kind of living conditions that kept typhoid top of mind. Erin Quinlan, Architectural Digest, 30 June 2025 At the same time, Trump’s Interior Department is aggressively pursuing ways to industrialize, privatize and monetize the public lands. T. A. Barron, Denver Post, 26 June 2025 Access to market is a key pillar of Afreximbank’s efforts to industrialize the continent. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 18 June 2025 Both industrialized what had previously been cottage industries—in Ford’s case, the artisanal carriage trade; in Seabrook’s, market gardening. John Seabrook june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for industrialize

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of industrialize was in 1845

Cite this Entry

“Industrialize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrialize. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

industrialize

verb
in·​dus·​tri·​al·​ize in-ˈdəs-trē-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce industrialize (audio)
industrialized; industrializing
: to make or become industrial
industrialize an agricultural region
industrialization noun

More from Merriam-Webster on industrialize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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