Meaning & use

industry

noun·Academic

A particular branch of economic activity involving the production or trade of goods and services; also, hard and steady work.

See it in a sentence

The entire region's economy depends heavily on the local fishing industry.

Her industry and discipline impressed every teacher she ever had.

A note on using this word

Industry most commonly refers to a business sector, but its older sense of 'diligent effort' survives in phrases like 'a model of industry.'

Words with a similar meaning

sectortradediligence

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

idleness

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “industry”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.