What is the Latin word for industry?

The usual Latin words for “industry” are industria, nāvitās, labor; also opus, assiduitās, dīligō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“industry” in Latin

industriaenergetic activity, industry, application, diligence; purposefulness, purpose nāvitāspromptness, assiduity, zeal laborwork; labor, toil, exertion; hardship, trouble, fatigue, suffering, drudgery, distress opuswork, labor, accomplishment; workmanship, artwork, work (of art, literature, etc.); need, necessity assiduitāsconstant presence with someone; continuance, duration, constancy of something; frequency or repetition of something dīligōto esteem, prize, love, have regard, to delight in (something); to set apart by choosing, to single (something) out, to studiumstudy; eagerness, zeal; desire, fancy sēdulitāssedulity, sedulousness, application, assiduity, earnestness, zeal impigritāsactivity, indefatigableness cārusdear, beloved; costly, expensive, valued

The English word industry itself goes back to Latin ūrō, through industria.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

industry

industria (habitual industry of an elevated kind; opposed to segnitia): navitas (habitual industry of a useful kind; e.g., inbusiness; opposed to ignavia): labor (laborious exertion). (The words are found in this connection and order.) industria et labor: opera (the mental and bodily activity bestowed upon anything): assiduitas (constancy, endurance in a business): sedulitas (activity, bustling disposition) impigritas (unwearied application, etc., Cic., ap. Non., 125, 20): diligentia (care and attention in doing one’s work). (The words are found in this connection and order.) industria et diligentia: studium (internal impulse, inclination for an occupation). A composition shows much industry and care, together with much learning, in libro multa industria et diligentia comparet, multa doctrina: a person shows remarkable industry in anything, in aliqua re singulari est industria. (both Nep., Cat., 3, 1 and 4): to feel the want of anybody’s industry and care, desiderare alicujus industriam et diligentiam: to bestow industry upon anything, industriam locare, diligentiam adhibere, studium collocare in re; industriam ponere, exponere in re; operam in re locare, ponere, in rem conferre; operam alicui rei tribuere; operam (laborem) ad or in aliquid impendere: to show all possible industry, omnes industriae nervos intendere: to follow any pursuit or business with the greatest possible industry, omnem industriam or diligentiam ponere in re; omne studium conferre in aliquid; omni cogitatione et curā incumbere in aliquid; totum animum atque diligentiam ponere in re; totum se conferre ad studium alicujus rei; totum et mente et animo insistere in aliquid: to pursue an object with great industry, multum studii adhibere ad aliquid; operae plurimum studiique in aliqua re consumere; magnum studium et multam operam conferre ad aliquid; multum operae laborisque in re consumere; multo sudore et labore facere aliquid; desudare et laborare in re: to rouse one’s industry, industriam acuere: my industry shall not be wanting in it, mea industria in ea re non deerit: with industry [Vid: INDUSTRIOUSLY].

A school of industry, *schola artium fovendarum causa instituta.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for industry?: The usual Latin words for “industry” are industria, nāvitās, labor; also opus, assiduitās, dīligō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.