industrialization

Meaning

1. 1noununcountable

   The process by which a country or society shifts from a farming economy to one based on manufacturing and industry.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'the' when referring to a specific historical process.

   Patterns

   • rapid industrialization
   • the industrialization of a country
   • industrialization and urbanization

   The industrialization of Britain began in the late eighteenth century.

   Rapid industrialization brought both wealth and pollution to the region.

   Many scholars study the social effects of industrialization.

Common combinations

rapid industrialization

Rapid industrialization transformed the small town into a major city.

industrialization process

The industrialization process took several decades.

industrialization and urbanization

Industrialization and urbanization often go hand in hand.

early industrialization

Early industrialization relied heavily on coal and steam power.

Synonyms and how they differ

mechanization

Focuses on replacing human labor with machines; industrialization is broader, covering economic and social change.

modernization

A wider term that includes industrialization but also covers political and cultural changes.

Opposites

Word family

industrialize verb

To develop industry in a country or region.

industrial adjective

Relating to industry or manufacturing.

industrialized adjective

Having developed a strong manufacturing sector.

Commonly confused: industrialization or industrialism?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “industrialization”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words