industrial
UK[ɪnˈdʌstriəl]US[ɪnˈdʌstriəl]
adj
Relating to or characterized by industry, especially manufacturing.
adj
Having highly developed industries.
Morpheme Breakdown
industry
al
industry
noun
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'industrial' is a direct derivative of the noun 'industry'. Its core, 'industry', entered English in the late 15th century from Latin 'industria', meaning "diligence, purposeful activity." The Latin term itself is built from 'industrius' (diligent), likely from the older verb 'indu-' (in) + 'struere' (to build, pile up), suggesting a sense of building up through effort. The suffix '-al', of Latin origin via French, is a prolific adjective-forming element. Thus, 'industrial' literally means "of or pertaining to diligence or systematic work," a meaning which narrowed and specialized with the 18th-century Industrial Revolution to specifically describe the large-scale, mechanized manufacturing sector.
Analysis
Structure: industry (noun) + al (adjective suffix)
- industry: From Latin 'industria' (diligence, activity). The functional role is the core noun denoting systematic productive work.
- al: A suffix of Latin origin via French, forming adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by."
Examples
The city's economy was once heavily reliant on industrial production.
The government is investing in industrial research and development.
The landscape was scarred by old industrial sites.