Etymograph

English

industry

Industry comes from Old French industrie, from Latin industria ‘diligence, activity’, from industrius ‘diligent’, of unknown origin.

  1. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEindostruus1‘diligent, active’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindustrius1‘diligent, active, zealous’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindustria1‘diligence, activity, industry’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400industrie1
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500industry1
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1941industry1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English industry
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1941, Ogden Nash, The Ant: “The ant has made himself illustrious / Through constant…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Latinc. 700–75 BCEindostruusWiktionary, English industry‘diligent, active’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindustriusWiktionary, English industry‘diligent, active, zealous’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindustriaWiktionary, English industry‘diligence, activity, industry’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400industrieWiktionary, English industry
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500industryWiktionary, English industry
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1941industryWiktionary, English industry. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1941, Ogden Nash, The Ant: “The ant has made himself illustrious / Through constant…”

The story

Perhaps from indu (‘in’) + ūst-, ūstr-, stem of ūrō (“burn, burn up, consume”, verb), related to Old High German ūstrī (‘industry’), Old English andūstrian (“to hate, detest”, literally “to be consumed with zeal”).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Every English word from Old Latin indostruus

Today it means

noun The tendency to work persistently.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “industry”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old Latin indostruus / industry

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