brownfield

noun

brown·​field ˈbrau̇n-ˌfēld 

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

Targeting the brownfield window For executives building technology strategies and investors allocating capital, the greenfield narrative where AI-native factories are built from scratch describes a small fraction of the actual market. — Amit Chaturvedy, Fortune, 8 July 2026

The money is part of more than $15 million that the Lamont Administration awarded to a dozen communities with large brownfields cleanups. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026

So far, most investments in Venezuela are in existing oil sites—brownfields, in industry parlance. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 17 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

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brownfield

• afield
• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed
• cornfield
• downfield
• goldfield
• hayfield
• infield

Legal Definition

brownfield

noun

brown·​field ˈbrau̇n-ˌfēld 

: a tract of land that has been developed for industrial purposes, polluted, and then abandoned