industry
Definitions
A particular branch or sector of economic activity
行业，产业
Manufacturing and production as a whole
工业，制造业
Hard work and diligence (formal)
勤勉，刻苦（正式）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin industria (diligence). The word first meant plain hard work, then during the Industrial Revolution leapt to 'manufacturing,' and finally to 'any whole economic sector.' Today the sector sense leads (the tech industry); the old 'diligence' sense survives only in formal writing.
Root industri still carries 5 more wordsUsage Guide
Three layers of meaning, very different in register. 'A sector' (the tech industry) is by far the most common in everyday English. 'Manufacturing as a whole' (industry vs agriculture) is common in economics. 'Diligence' (a man of great industry) is formal and dated — don't reach for it in casual writing.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She has worked in the film industry for over twenty years.
- 2.
Heavy industry still dominates the economy of that region.
- 3.
The report praised the quiet industry of the volunteers.
Synonym Comparison
- industry — a whole sector, or production at large: the auto industry
- sector — a broad division of the economy, often grouped: the public sector
- business — a specific company, or commerce in general
- trade — a particular skilled occupation, or buying and selling
- commerce — the activity of buying and selling, emphasis on exchange