industry

industry — noun

1. the businesses and factories that produce goods for sale, such as cars, clothing

1.nounB1
Definition

the businesses and factories that produce goods for sale, such as cars, clothing, or electronic devices — manufacturing as a broad sector of the economy

Example

Meera found a job in the manufacturing industry after finishing her engineering degree.

adjective + industry: manufacturing industry

Government trade policies can help local industry grow or cause it to shrink.

uncountable: local industry

Common collocations
  • heavy industry
  • light industry
  • manufacturing industry
  • local industry
  • domestic industry
Synonyms
  • manufacturing

    narrower than industry — strictly the process of making goods in factories

  • production

    focuses on the output itself rather than the whole sector

  • commerce

    broader — includes trade and services, not just goods

Grammar Patterns

industry + verb

adjective + industry

industry of [product]

Usage Note

As an uncountable noun, industry refers to manufacturing activity in general. As a countable noun with a modifier (e.g. 'the car industry'), it refers to one specific sector. This sense is the most common meaning in news and business contexts.

Common Mistakes

The industry of steel is growing.
The steel industry is growing.
Use 'steel industry' (noun + noun compound), not 'industry of steel'.

2. the people, companies, and work that form a particular area of business, such as

2.nounB1
Definition

the people, companies, and work that form a particular area of business, such as tourism, film-making, or banking

Example

The tourism industry brings a great deal of money to coastal towns every summer.

the [sector] industry: tourism industry

Emma started her career in the fashion industry as a designer right after university.

Common collocations
  • tourism industry
  • fashion industry
  • film industry
  • music industry
  • banking industry
  • tech industry
Synonyms
  • sector

    more formal; often used in economics and government reports

  • trade

    older term, often implies skilled manual work or shop-based business

  • field

    broader — can include non-commercial areas like academic disciplines

Grammar Patterns

the [adjective] industry

industry + noun (industry expert)

Usage Note

Nearly always used with a preceding modifier that names the field. The definite article 'the' is standard. Common in job descriptions and business news.

Common Mistakes

He works in industry of food.
He works in the food industry.
The modifier comes before 'industry', not after with 'of'.

3. an activity or product that is sold in very large amounts and earns substantial

3.nounB2
Definition

an activity or product that is sold in very large amounts and earns substantial profits for those involved

Example

Fitness training has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry around the world.

The wedding-planning business became a huge industry in many countries over the past decade.

become + a + adjective + industry

Common collocations
  • big industry
  • major industry
  • growing industry
  • profitable industry
  • multi-billion dollar industry
Synonyms
  • big business

    informal; focuses on the profit-making scale rather than the type of activity

  • enterprise

    more formal; can refer to any business venture, not necessarily large-scale

Grammar Patterns

become/grow into + an industry

a + adjective + industry

Usage Note

This sense emphasises the financial scale and profitability of an activity. It often appears with verbs like 'become', 'grow into', and 'turn into' to describe how a small activity expanded into a large money-making business.

Common Mistakes

The smartphone repair is a big industry.' (with 'the' and no noun before 'industry')
Smartphone repair has become a big industry.
Use 'become' or 'turn into' to show the growth from a small activity.

4. the habit of putting steady effort into your work over a long period, never stop

4.nounB2
Definition

the habit of putting steady effort into your work over a long period, never stopping when challenges arise

Example

Hoa was praised by her manager for her industry and dependability at work.

possessive + industry: her industry

The research project succeeded because of the team's industry and careful planning.

Common collocations
  • great industry
  • tireless industry
  • remarkable industry
  • patient industry
  • steady industry
Synonyms
  • diligence

    very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used in academic contexts

  • hard work

    less formal; everyday term for the same concept

  • application

    focuses on sustained effort toward a specific goal

Antonyms
  • laziness

    direct opposite — lack of willingness to work

  • idleness

    formal; avoiding work or activity

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + industry

industry + and + [noun]

Usage Note

This sense is formal and more common in written or evaluative contexts (reports, letters of recommendation, school reports) than in everyday speech. It is always uncountable. Distinguish from sense 1 where 'industry' refers to factories and manufacturing — here the meaning is about a person's effort and diligence.

Common Mistakes

She has a lot of industries.' (treating it as countable)
She has great industry.
In this sense, 'industry' is always uncountable.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three words can refer to a type of business activity, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Sector' is the most formal and is common in economics, government reports, and investing — it often groups companies by their economic function (e.g. 'the public sector', 'the service sector'). 'Trade' is an older term that historically referred to skilled manual work (e.g. 'the building trade', 'the carpentry trade') and carries a sense of hands-on expertise; it can also mean buying and selling across borders. 'Field' is the broadest of the three — it applies to any area of work, study, or interest, not just commercial activity (e.g. 'the field of medicine', 'the field of education'). For a commercial area like advertising or banking, 'industry' and 'sector' are the most natural choices: you would say 'the advertising industry' or 'the banking sector', not 'the advertising field' or 'the banking trade'.

sector ↗trade ↗field ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • industry leader
  • industry standard
  • industry expert
  • industry growth

Phrases

  • captain of industry
  • industry-wide
  • industry-specific

Prepositions

  • in an industry
  • across industries
  • within the industry

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'industry' comes from Latin 'industria', meaning 'diligence, active effort, or zeal'. It entered English in the 1400s with the meaning of 'hard work or careful effort' (modern sense 4). During the Industrial Revolution (late 1700s–1800s), as large factories and machine-based manufacturing became central to the economy, the word gradually took on its modern meaning of 'large-scale production of goods' (sense 1). The two meanings — a personal quality and an economic sector — have coexisted in English ever since.