Meaning & use
Industrial Revolution
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Meanings
proper nounproper
The period in the late 18th and 19th centuries when machines and factories changed manufacturing in Europe and America.
Grammar: Usually preceded by 'the': 'the Industrial Revolution'. Takes a singular verb.
Patterns
- the Industrial Revolution
- during the Industrial Revolution
- the Industrial Revolution began in
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 1700s.
Many people moved from farms to cities during the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution brought both wealth and terrible working conditions.
nouncountablefigurative
Any major change in which machines take over work previously done by hand or by animals.
Grammar: Often written with lower-case letters when not referring to the specific historical period: 'an industrial revolution'.
Patterns
- an industrial revolution
- a second industrial revolution
Some historians say we are now in a new industrial revolution driven by robots.
The invention of the steam engine started an industrial revolution in transport.
Common combinations
- the Industrial Revolution began
- The Industrial Revolution began in Britain around 1760.
- during the Industrial Revolution
- Living standards rose slowly during the Industrial Revolution.
- the effects of the Industrial Revolution
- The effects of the Industrial Revolution are still debated today.
- a second industrial revolution
- Electricity led to a second industrial revolution in the 1800s.
Synonyms and how they differ
- industrialization
- The general process of developing factories and industry; 'the Industrial Revolution' refers to the specific historical period when this happened rapidly.
Word family
- industry noun
- The production of goods in factories.
- industrial adjective
- Relating to industry.
- industrialize verb
- To develop industry in a country or region.
- revolution noun
- A complete or dramatic change.
Commonly confused: Industrial Revolution or American Revolution?
Industrial Revolution vs American Revolution
The American Revolution was a political war for independence, while the Industrial Revolution was an economic and technological change.
Practice
The Industrial Revolution ______ in Britain in the late eighteenth century.
Choose one answer.
The subject 'The Industrial Revolution' is singular and the sentence describes a past event, so the past tense 'began' is correct. 'Begin' is present tense, 'beginning' is not a finite verb, and 'was begin' is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Industrial Revolution”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.