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in·dus·try | \ ˈin-(ˌ)də-strē 
\
\ plural industries
Definition of industry
1a : manufacturing activity as a whole
the nation's industry
b : a distinct group of productive or profit-making enterprises
the banking industry
c : a department or branch of a craft, art, business, or manufacture especially : one that employs a large personnel and capital especially in manufacturing
d : systematic labor especially for some useful purpose or the creation of something of value
2 : diligence in an employment or pursuit especially : steady or habitual effort
3 : work devoted to the study of a particular subject or author
the Shakespeare industry
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Examples of industry in a Sentence
He favors policies that promote industry.
She invested in several large industries.
She became so popular that a whole industry grew up around her and her image.
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Recent Examples on the Web At the time, the rehab industry didn’t really exist.
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Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, "A group of 1970s activists saved Minneapolis' Milwaukee Avenue from the wrecking ball," 18 Sep. 2020 Few companies outside the health-care industry require their staff to be vaccinated against the flu or other communicable diseases as a condition of employment.
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Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "Can an Employer Require You to Get a Covid-19 Vaccine?," 18 Sep. 2020 Government revenue from the hospitality industry is forecast to decline by $108 million this year, while the sector as a whole is forecast to suffer a loss of $184 million, according to an impact assessment by the national bureau of statistics.
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Modou Joof, Bloomberg.com, "Gambia Tourism to Suffer $292 Million Loss Due to Coronavirus," 18 Sep. 2020 Most immediately, perhaps, the airline industry faces mass layoffs in October without help.
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Joseph Lawler, Washington Examiner, "Restaurants, bars, and theaters at risk of being left for dead," 18 Sep. 2020 The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Petroleum Institute published a study in 2017 stating that the gas and oil industry supported 322,600 jobs in the state and contributed $44.5 billion to its economy.
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Jon Miltimore, National Review, "Even Kamala Harris No Longer Can Ignore the Economic Benefits of Fracking," 18 Sep. 2020 After the 2016 election, the tech industry came in for a reckoning.
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Clive Thompson, Wired, "YouTube’s Plot to Silence Conspiracy Theories," 18 Sep. 2020 One reason is that the industry is evolving, with the value of financial advice changing.
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Claire Hastwell, Fortune, "The Best Workplaces for Women are expanding the turf for women in finance," 18 Sep. 2020 The Mandalorian wrapped season 2 production in March, just weeks before the industry-wide production shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Baby Yoda Is Back! Disney+ Releases The Mandalorian Season 2 Trailer," 15 Sep. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'industry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for industry
industry
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of industry
: the process of making products by using machinery and factories
: a group of businesses that provide a particular product or service
: the habit of working hard and steadily
See the full definition for industry in the English Language Learners Dictionary
industry
nounin·dus·try | \ ˈin-də-strē \
\ plural industries
Kids Definition of industry
1 : businesses that provide a certain product or service
the oil industry the shipping industry
2 : manufacturing activity
In May, industry slowed down.
3 : the habit of working hard and steadily
Rab did not immediately spring into action to make a good show of his industry before his master.— Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain
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Time Traveler for industry
The first known use of industry was in the 15th century
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