What does postindustrial mean?
Postindustrial describes an economy, society, place, or period shaped by the decline of manufacturing and heavy industry as dominant sources of employment and production. In a postindustrial economy, services, information technology, finance, research, education, and other knowledge-based activities generally occupy a more prominent role. The word does not imply that industry has vanished, but rather that the economic structure characteristic of the industrial era has been substantially transformed. It is often used when discussing former manufacturing centers, the changing nature of work, urban regeneration, and the rise of digital and service-based economies. Because it names a broad historical and economic transition, postindustrial is especially useful for examining how communities and institutions adapt when their traditional industries contract.
adjectiveRelating to the period or conditions after the industrial era, especially economies and societies in which manufacturing and heavy industry have declined in relative importance.
- Relating to the economic and social period following the industrial era, when manufacturing has declined in relative importance and service, information, and knowledge-based activities have become more prominent.
"The postindustrial economy has created new demand for professional and technical services."
"Many former manufacturing centers now form part of a postindustrial economy."
"The exhibition examines how digital culture reshaped the postindustrial workplace."
Postindustrial does not mean an economy without industry; it means one in which the old industrial order has been overtaken by services, technology, and new forms of work.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does postindustrial come from?
The word combines the prefix post-, meaning “after,” with industrial, which derives through French from Latin industria, “diligence, activity, or industry.” Its use became widespread during the late 20th century as economists and social scientists described a transition away from manufacturing-centered economies. The related English words industry, industrial, and industrious share the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How postindustrial is actually used
The term is chiefly used in economics, sociology, geography, and cultural history. It usually describes a broad structural transition rather than the complete disappearance of manufacturing or industrial activity.
Easily confused with postindustrial
Industrial means relating to manufacturing or industry itself, whereas postindustrial describes conditions arising after heavy industry has become less central to an economy.
Preindustrial refers to a period before industrial development, while postindustrial refers to the period or conditions that follow the industrial era.