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industry definition

in·dus·try (in′dəs trē)

noun pl. industries -·tries

  1. Obsolete
    1. skill or cleverness
    2. the application of this
  2. earnest, steady effort; constant diligence in or application to work
  3. systematic work; habitual employment
    1. any particular branch of productive, esp. manufacturing, enterprise the paper industry
    2. any large-scale business activity the tourist industry
    1. manufacturing productive enterprises collectively, esp. as distinguished from agriculture
    2. the owners and managers of industry

Etymology: LME < MFr industrie < L industria < industrius, active, industrious < *indo-struus < OL endo (> L in) + struere, to pile up, arrange: see strew

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

business industry definition - business

industry Synonyms

industry

n.

  1. Attention to work

    diligence, activity, assiduity, persistence, application, patience, intentness, perseverance, enterprise, hard work, zeal, energy, dynamism, pains, inventiveness; see also attention 2, care 1, diligence.

    Antonyms laziness*, sloth*, idleness. *

  2. Commercial enterprise

    manufacturing, business, commerce, trade, enterprise, production, mass production, assembly-line production; see also business 1.

  3. Business as a division of society

    big business, management, corporation officers, manufacturers, shareholders, high finance, entrepreneurs, capital, private enterprise, monied interests, stockholders. See syn. study at business.business.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

industry Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • nationalize: Like nationalized industry, nationalized nature is an expensive failure.

Adjective modifier

  • pharmaceutical: Starting salaries are good: £ 20,000 in the pharmaceutical industry.

Modifies a noun

  • sector: Lawyers with relevant industry sector experience provide commercially aware, client focused advice throughout the process.

Noun used with modifier

  • construction: Every year defects in the UK construction industry cost at least £ 1 billion to repair or rebuild.
industry usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

industry quotes

The most urgent tasks in Britain, once war is over, are, on the one hand, the making of a common attack on the giant evils of Want, Disease,Ignorance and Squalor, and on the other hand, the re-equipping of British industry.

-Beveridge,William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron

Captains of Industry.

-Carlyle,Thomas

The military system is, to a substantial extent, a method whereby the population provides a subsidy to the high technology industry.

-Chomsky, (Avram) Noam

industry quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"industry." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/industry>

APA Style

industry. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/industry

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