industrialisation

Everyday

1. The change of a country or area from farming and handwork to factories, machines and big industry. tree →
2. (history) In particular the Industrial Revolution in Britain from about 1760, which then spread to Europe, North America and the world. tree →

In the lessons

In history and geography lessons, industrialisation brought steam engines, factories, railways and growing cities, but also child labour, pollution and crowded housing. Today many countries are still industrialising. Phrases: rapid industrialisation, the age of industrialisation, effects of industrialisation.

Examples

• Industrialisation changed Britain from farms to factories. tree →
• During industrialisation, many children worked long hours in mills. tree →
• Industrialisation made cities grow very fast. tree →
• Smoke from industrialisation polluted the air. tree →
• Railways spread across the country during industrialisation. tree →
• China went through rapid industrialisation in recent decades. tree →

Note

Uncountable. UK «-isation», US «-ization». Verb «industrialise»; adjective «industrial». The opposite trend is «deindustrialisation», when factories close.