greenfield

¹ American  

[green-feeld] / ˈgrinˌfild /

noun

1. an undeveloped or agricultural tract of land that is a potential site for industrial or urban development.

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Greenfield ² American  

[green-feeld] / ˈgrinˌfild /

noun

1. a city in SE Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.

2. a city in NW Massachusetts.

3. a town in central Indiana.

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greenfield British  

/ ˈɡriːnˌfiːld /

noun

1. (modifier) denoting or located in a rural area which has not previously been built on

   new factories were erected on greenfield sites

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greenfield Scientific  

/ grēn′fēld /

1. A piece of usually semirural property that is undeveloped except for agricultural use, especially one considered as a site for expanding urban development.

2. Compare brownfield

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Etymology

Origin of greenfield

First recorded in 1940–45 as an adjective; current sense dates from 2000–05; green ( def. ) + field ( def. )

Example Sentences

South Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai plans to dramatically increase India’s domestic ship building capacity with a port expansion and greenfield port development in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India’s hub for export-oriented automotive industries.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Muse noted the potential for “relative outperformance” this year, with “help from Samsung as a meaningfully stronger customer in 2026, as well as Applied’s strong leverage to greenfield investments.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

Rio Tinto struggled to articulate how it will grow copper beyond 2030 while Glencore showcased a pipeline of brown and greenfield copper projects, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

He said he expected some of the construction to take place on greenfield land, but there would also be "big expansions of existing towns and cities where that is appropriate".

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2025

Those needs “can only be met with a greenfield site that has yet to be identified,” the final report states.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2023