noun

greenfield

GREEN-feeld

Greenfield (noun) means Land that has not previously been developed, often considered for new building projects. Example: “The council approved housing on a greenfield site outside town.”

noun

Land that has not previously been developed, often considered for new building projects.

"The council approved housing on a greenfield site outside town."

adj

Describing a project built entirely from scratch, without needing to work around existing systems.

"The startup chose a greenfield approach, building its software with no legacy code to maintain."

How to use greenfield

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUndeveloped land ready for new construction, or — in tech and business — a project with a completely clean slate.

Easily confused with

brownfield

Common pairings

greenfield site greenfield project greenfield development

Word forms

greenfields plural, Greenfields plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The council approved housing on a _____ site outside town.

Etymology

From green plus field, originally referring literally to undeveloped agricultural or grassy land.

Rhymes for greenfield

field wield yield shield afield Ifield infield Garfield outfield airfield midfield Warfield

See all rhymes for greenfield →

Frequently asked questions

What does “greenfield” mean?

The word “greenfield” means land that has not previously been developed, often considered for new building projects. In plain terms, undeveloped land ready for new construction, or — in tech and business — a project with a completely clean slate.

How do you pronounce “greenfield”?

“Greenfield” is pronounced GREEN-feeld (/ˈɡɹinfild/ in IPA).

How do you use “greenfield” in a sentence?

Here is “greenfield” used in a sentence: “The council approved housing on a greenfield site outside town.”

What part of speech is “greenfield”?

Depending on how it is used, “greenfield” can be a noun and an adjective.

How many meanings does “greenfield” have?

“Greenfield” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: land that has not previously been developed, often considered for new building projects.