deindustrialization
UK[ˌdiːɪnˌdʌstriəlaɪˈzeɪʃn]US[ˌdiːɪnˌdʌstriələˈzeɪʃn]
n
The process of reducing or eliminating industrial activity and capacity in a region or economy.
n
The social and economic changes resulting from the decline of heavy industry and manufacturing.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
industrial
ization
de
reverse
industrial
pertaining to industry
ization
process of making
Etymology
The word is a modern construction, built from established morphemes to describe a specific socioeconomic phenomenon. The core, "industry," originates from Latin industria, meaning "diligence" or "purposeful activity," which evolved to denote systematic manufacturing. The prefix "de-," from Latin, signifies reversal or removal, directly negating the state of being industrialized. Finally, the noun-forming suffix "-ization," tracing back to Greek verb-forming patterns via Latin and French, indicates the process of causing this change. Thus, the term literally and logically means "the process of causing the reversal of becoming industrial."
Analysis
Structure: de (reverse) + industrial (pertaining to industry) + ization (process of making)
de: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "down from, off, away, reversing or undoing an action."
industrial: From Latin industria ("diligence, activity") via English "industry," meaning "pertaining to productive economic activity, especially manufacturing."
ization: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin -izare and French -iser, forming nouns meaning "the process of making or becoming."
Examples
The deindustrialization of the Midwest left many factory towns struggling with unemployment.
Economists debate whether deindustrialization is a natural stage in a developed economy's evolution.
Government policies aimed to manage the social impact of rapid deindustrialization.