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
This could be crucial in a contest against a state with vast economic, technological, and industrial resources. Andrew S. Lim, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Economic benefits include adding to the residential and industrial water supply, reducing extreme events from drought such as fires and reducing the risk of flooding from heavy precipitation, Hindsley said. David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
Gains were led by the technology, industrials and educational services sectors, data from LSEG shows. Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025 Sector allocation is roughly 39% utilities, 38% industrials, and 23% energy. Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 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 2 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!