industrialization

IPA/ɪnˌdʌstriəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/
KK[ˌɪndˌʌstriəlɪzˈeʃən]IPA/ɪnˌdʌstriələˈzeɪʃn/

industrialization — noun

1. the large-scale shift in a society's economy from farming and handmade goods to

1.nounC1
Definition

the large-scale shift in a society's economy from farming and handmade goods to factory-based manufacturing and machine production, typically accompanied by urban growth and social change

Example

During the 1800s, Britain's industrialization turned small farming villages into crowded factory towns.

collocation: possessive + 'industrialization' + verb of transformation

South Korea's rapid industrialization after 1960 created new jobs in cities such as Busan and Seoul.

modified by 'rapid' to show speed of change

Common collocations
  • rapid industrialization
  • industrialization of a region
  • industrialization process
  • early industrialization
  • post-war industrialization
Synonyms
  • industrial development

    more neutral, gradual; focuses on the growth of industry rather than the large-scale transformation of society

  • mechanisation

    narrower meaning — specifically the introduction of machines, not the full economic shift

  • modernisation

    broader meaning — includes social, political and cultural changes beyond industry alone

Antonyms

Usage Note

Typically used as an uncountable noun describing a broad economic and social transformation; commonly modified by adjectives such as 'rapid', 'early', 'heavy', or 'post-war'.

Common Mistakes

Industrialization made many people to move to cities.
Industrialization caused many people to move to cities.
The verb 'make' is not followed by 'to'-infinitive; use 'cause' or 'lead to' instead.
The industrialization of Japan happened in Meiji period.
Japan's industrialization began during the Meiji period.
Using the possessive form before 'industrialization' often sounds more natural in English than the 'of' construction with a definite article.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four terms describe broad societal changes, 'industrialisation' specifically names the shift toward factory-based manufacturing as the centre of a country's economy. 'Industrial development' is a gentler, more gradual term — it could describe a single industry growing (e.g. pharmaceutical industrial development in India). 'Mechanisation' is narrower: it refers only to the use of machines, not the full economic restructuring. 'Modernisation' is broader, covering social institutions, law, and culture. 'Urbanisation' (the growth of cities) often accompanies industrialisation but is a separate process — cities can grow for non-industrial reasons. For example: 'Britain's industrialisation in the 1800s created factory towns, but the mechanisation of farming meant fewer farm workers were needed, pushing people into cities — a process of urbanisation that continued long after heavy industry declined.'

industrial developmentmechanisation ↗modernisationurbanisation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the onset of industrialization
  • post-industrialization era
  • the spread of industrialization

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from French 'industrialisation', which was built from 'industriel' (relating to industry) and the suffix '-isation' (denoting a process). The French term traces back to Latin 'industria', meaning 'diligence' or 'active effort'. The word entered English in the late 19th century, just as the second wave of the Industrial Revolution was transforming societies across Europe and North America, and it became widely used in economics and history writing in the 20th century.