English Reference
Adjective

industrialized

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌɪnˈdəstɹiəˌɫaɪzd/ in·dus·tri·al·ized UK spelling industrialised

adj.describing a country or area that has many factories and a highly developed economy. It means the place has moved from farming to using machines and technology.

adj.having a highly developed economy and a large-scale manufacturing sector. Often used to describe the historical transition of a nation from an agrarian to a manufacturing-based society.


SIMPLE

The country became more industrialized in the twentieth century.

CONTEXTUAL

Many industrialized nations are now shifting their focus from heavy manufacturing toward service-based and digital economies.

COMPLEX

The environmental impact of the project was significant, as the once-pristine valley was rapidly transformed into a heavily industrialized corridor to support the growing demand for steel.

Usage

Typically used as a participial adjective; can appear both before a noun or after a linking verb.

Lord O'Neill is also known as the economist who coined the term Bric in 2001 to describe leading developing or newly industrialised countries with potential for fast growth and, therefore, investment returns.

BBC News· 22 Aug 2026

He knew what he was talking about and he instinctively understood what mattered to the men and women on the streets of West Bromwich, or anywhere else in the industrialised landscape of urban Britain.

The Guardian· 23 Aug 2026

From industrialize + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated