industry

Pronunciation: /ˈɪn.də.stɹi/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise
  2. noun the organized action of making of goods and services for sale
  3. noun persevering determination to perform a task

Etymology

From Middle English industry, industrie, from Old French industrie, from Latin industria (“diligence, activity, industry”), from industrius (“diligent, active, zealous”), from Old Latin indostruus (“diligent, active”); origin unknown. Perhaps from indu (“in”) + ūst-, ūstr-, stem of ūrō (“burn, burn up, consume”, verb), related to Old High German ūstrī (“industry”), Old English andūstrian (“to hate, detest”, literally “to be consumed with zeal”).

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
commercial enterprise
Narrower (hyponyms)
munitions industry, sign industry, tobacco industry, electronics industry, aviation, plastics industry

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