greenwashing

American  

[green-wosh-ing, -waw-shing] / ˈgrinˌwɒʃ ɪŋ, -ˌwɔ ʃɪŋ /

noun

1. an instance or practice of promoting or affiliating a brand, campaign, mission, etc., with environmentalism as a ploy to divert attention from policies and activities that are in fact antienvironmentalist.

   Car manufacturers have gone all-in on this greenwashing of fuel efficiency standards.

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Etymology

Origin of greenwashing

First recorded in 1985–90; greenwash ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Greenwashing is what a company does when it makes a good or service seem more environmentally friendly than it really is. Greenwashing can take a lot of different forms. A company may use words like "green" or "natural" to imply that their products and practices are sustainable, even if they're really not. An oil company may advertise its plans to protect endangered species and lower emissions, all while actually working to produce and sell more and more fossil fuels. In general, if a business spends more money on advertisements or other messaging that makes them seem environmentally friendly than on actually reducing their harmful environmental impact, they are practicing greenwashing.

Example Sentences

Greater transparency and clarity are urgently needed to disinfect the greenwashing fraud of many ESG initiatives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

"I see it as a one-off move maybe to do a bit of greenwashing," he said.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

Otherwise, thrifting risks becoming another hashtag, buzzword, and greenwashing tactic used to sell us more clothing that we ultimately don’t need.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026

It accused the scheme of "enabling greenwashing and purpose washing by multinationals".

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

Many environmental advocates and policy experts lauded the legal action as a major step toward ending greenwashing by Exxon Mobil — the world’s largest producer of single-use plastic polymer.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2024