industrial

1 of 2

adjective

in·​dus·​tri·​al in-ˈdə-strē-əl How to pronounce industrial (audio)
1
: of or relating to industry
2
: engaged in industry
the industrial classes
3
: characterized by highly developed industries
an industrial nation
4
: used in or developed for use in industry
industrial diamonds
also : heavy-duty
an industrial zipper
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
Meanwhile, China retail sales, industrial production, and real estate sales are expected to be released this weekend. Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 Maria centers on an 18-year-old caregiver navigating poverty, pregnancy, and fractured family ties in a declining industrial port town. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
Noun
Consumer discretionary, industrials, communication services and financials have all rallied on Wall Street in the past month. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 Both of these Club industrials did enough with their latest earnings to keep us believers. Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 12 May 2025 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 27 May. 2025.

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!