deindustrialization

noun

de·​in·​dus·​tri·​al·​i·​za·​tion (ˌ)dē-in-ˌdə-strē-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce deindustrialization (audio)
: the reduction or destruction of a nation's or region's industrial capacity
deindustrialize verb

Examples of deindustrialization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Throughout the 1960s, New York City’s financial sector boomed, yet simultaneously, poverty rates soared, deindustrialization accelerated, and housing costs skyrocketed. Daniel Wortel-London, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025 The city, as a bureaucratic operation, had lost track of its forests, and NRG staffers spread out to map them, discovering places that, owing to white flight and deindustrialization, had become nearly wild. Robert Sullivan, Curbed, 9 June 2025 The result is what economists call premature deindustrialization — developing countries losing industrial competitiveness before achieving full industrialization. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025 But the initial defeat reflected a deepening crisis that extends beyond Germany to governments across Europe: deindustrialization, dwindling growth, and a lack of liberal solutions are converging to drive disgruntled voters towards hateful, far-right populism. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for deindustrialization

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deindustrialization was in 1940

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Cite this Entry

“Deindustrialization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deindustrialization. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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