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 Thames holds innumerable coins, dress pins, and nails from the pre-industrial era. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026

The report added that the country’s garment sector cannot achieve long-term stability if workers’ rights and industrial competitiveness are treated as competing priorities. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

Noun

Consumer staples stocks, industrials and sectors such as autos, could get a boost from tariff refunds. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 14 July 2026

The parcel is zoned for light industrial, said Arden Hills Mayor David Grant, which can include manufacturing, assembly, distribution, shipping and an office component. — Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 14 July 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