Word Choice: Industrial vs. Industrious
  • 2-minute read
  • 26th September 2022

Word Choice: Industrial vs. Industrious

English can be tricky, especially if you’re learning it as a second language. One of its quirks is that some of its words sound similar but have different meanings. It’s no surprise, then, that even native speakers have difficulty sometimes!

In today’s blog, we’ll be looking at the difference between the words industrial and industrious. We’ll tell you what these words mean and give you examples of how to use them in a sentence.

Industrial

Use industrial when you’re talking about something related to the concept of industry, which means any kind of “economic activity concerned with manufactured goods, production, or business.” Here are some examples:

Dhanbad is an industrial town.

They have industrial wealth.

Industrial injuries cost companies money.

This country has a lot of industrial trade.

Industrious

If someone is industrious, it means they’re hardworking and often busy. Merriam-Webster defines industrious as meaning “constantly, regularly, or habitually active/occupied.” Here are some examples:

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Katie is one of our most industrious students.

We only hire industrious workers.

Industrious people are never idle.

So, while industrial and industrious sound similar, they actually have very different meanings. Don’t panic if you get them mixed up from time to time, though, because people will most likely know what you mean.

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