fieldwork

American  

[feeld-wurk] / ˈfildˌwɜrk /

noun

1. Also field work work done in the field, as research, exploration, surveying, or interviewing.

   archaeological fieldwork.

2. Fortification. a temporary fortification constructed in the field.

---

fieldwork British  

/ ˈfiːldˌwɜːk /

noun

1. military a temporary structure used in defending or fortifying a place or position

---

Other Word Forms

• field-worker noun
• fieldworker noun

Etymology

Origin of fieldwork

First recorded in 1735–45; field + work

Example Sentences

Dr. Joanne Johnson, a co-author and geologist at BAS, collected the boulders during fieldwork in the Hudson Mountains as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026

In 2054 Oxford historians do fieldwork by time-traveling to the past.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

While the route is not currently scheduled to open until after 2033 due to delays, archaeologists say their fieldwork is largely complete.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Even in a conflict zone where traditional fieldwork was not possible, researchers were able to produce one of the most detailed analyses of earthquake mechanics to date.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

In addition to fieldwork, girls also helped the farmers’ wives with housework and tended babies and young children.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti