adj. & n.
adj. 1 of or relating to industry or industries. 2 designed or suitable for industrial use (industrial alcohol). 3 characterized by highly developed industries (the industrial nations).
n. (in pl.) shares in industrial companies. industrial action Brit. any action, esp. a strike or work to rule, taken by employees as a protest. industrial archaeology the study of machines, factories, bridges, etc., formerly used in industry. industrial estate Brit. an area of land developed for the siting of industrial enterprises. industrial relations the relations between management and workers in industries. the Industrial Revolution the rapid development of a nation's industry (esp. in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th c.). industrially adv.
[ INDUSTRY + -AL: in 19th c. partly f. F industriel ]