brownfield

noun

brown·​field ˈbrau̇n-ˌfēld How to pronounce brownfield (audio)
often attributive
: a tract of land that has been developed for industrial purposes, polluted, and then abandoned

Examples of brownfield in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So far, most investments in Venezuela are in existing oil sites—brownfields, in industry parlance. Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 17 June 2026 In some cases, the company has renovated or entirely rebuilt older public housing projects; some of its locations are former brownfields, and others are renovations of historic buildings. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 June 2026 Resolution is a brownfield redevelopment in the heart of Arizona’s Copper Triangle which is set to build on a century of responsible mining heritage. David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 So that was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, purpose built area on a brownfield site that had a lot of the venues for the Olympics. AFAR Media, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for brownfield

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brownfield was in 1977

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brownfield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownfield. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

brownfield

noun
brown·​field ˈbrau̇n-ˌfēld How to pronounce brownfield (audio)
: a tract of land that has been developed for industrial purposes, polluted, and then abandoned
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster