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

A greenfield project refers to the development of a new mine where there was previously undeveloped or untouched land.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

The event is now the largest greenfield festival in the world and Worthy Farm turns into a temporary city with a population of about 200,000 when it is on.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 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