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History vocabulary · Economic History

Industrial Revolution

Meaning in history, with examples

nounCore term

In history, Industrial Revolution means: The shift from hand production to machines, factories and new energy sources such as coal and steam, which began in Britain in the late eighteenth century.

In Turkish: Sanayi Devrimi

How it is used

Written with the and capitals. Historians discuss its causes, pace and social effects, and many speak of a second Industrial Revolution (steel, electricity, chemicals) from about 1870. It is a standard topic in economic and social history courses.

Example sentences

  1. The Industrial Revolution turned Manchester into a crowded factory city.

  2. Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Britain rather than elsewhere?

Common collocations

  • the Industrial Revolution
  • the second Industrial Revolution
  • before the Industrial Revolution
  • the effects of the Industrial Revolution
  • industrializationThe process by which an economy shifts from mainly farming and handicrafts to large-scale manufacturing in factories using machines.
  • urbanizationThe growth of towns and cities, and the movement of a growing share of the population from the countryside into urban areas.
  • revolutionThe sudden, often violent overthrow of a government or political system by its people, or any deep and rapid change in society, the economy or ideas.
  • social classA group of people in a society who share a similar economic position, such as wealth, occupation or education, and often similar status and opportunities.

More terms: Economic History

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