1
a(1)
: an open land area free of woods and buildings
(2)
: an area of land marked by the presence of particular objects or features
dune fields
b(1)
: an area of cleared enclosed land used for cultivation or pasture
a field of wheat
(2)
: land containing a natural resource
oil fields
(3)
: airfield
c
: the place where a battle is fought
also
: battle
d
: a large unbroken expanse (as of ice)
2
a
: an area or division of an activity, subject, or profession
the field of microbiology
b
: the sphere of practical operation outside a base (such as a laboratory, office, or factory)
geologists working in the field
c
: an area for military exercises or maneuvers
d(1)
: an area constructed, equipped, or marked for sports
a football field
(2)
: the portion of an indoor or outdoor sports area enclosed by the running track and on which field events are conducted
(3)
: any of the three sections of a baseball outfield
hits to all fields
3
: a space on which something is drawn or projected: such as
a
: the space on the surface of a coin, medal, or seal that does not contain the design
b
: the ground of each division in a flag
c
: the whole surface of an escutcheon (see escutcheon sense 1)
4
: the individuals that make up all or part of the participants in a contest
The election attracted a large field of candidates.
especially
: all participants with the exception of the favorite or the winner in a contest where more than two are entered
5
: the area visible through the lens of an optical instrument
6
a
: a region or space in which a given effect (such as magnetism) exists
a magnetic field
a gravitational field
b
: a region of embryonic tissue capable of a particular type of differentiation (see differentiation sense 3)
a morphogenetic field
7
: a set of mathematical elements that is subject to two binary operations the second of which is distributive (see distributive sense 3) relative to the first and that constitutes a commutative (see commutative sense 2) group under the first operation and also under the second if the zero or unit element under the first is omitted
8
: a complex of forces that serve as causative agents in human behavior
9
: a series of drain tiles and an absorption area for septic-tank outflow
10
: a particular area (as of a record in a database) in which the same type of information is regularly recorded
: of or relating to a field: such as
a
: growing in or inhabiting the fields or open country
b
: made, conducted, or used in the field
c
: operating or active in the field
fielded; fielding; fields
1
a
: to catch or pick up (something, such as a batted ball) and usually throw to a teammate
Practice fielding ground balls as much as you can. Work on keeping the ball in front of you.—
Michael Goldman
Michael Goldman
b
: to take care of or respond to (something, such as a telephone call or a request)
She has been fielding offers from potential buyers.
c
: to give an impromptu answer or solution to
the senator fielded the reporters' questions
2
: to put into the field
field an army
field a team
also
: to enter in competition
: to play as a defensive player stationed in the field
Synonyms
Examples of field in a Sentence
Noun
He gazed out across the fields.
She hopes to find work in the health field.
She is a pioneer in the field of genetic research.
a lawyer who is eminent in his field
working in his chosen field
a fascinating field of endeavor
Verb
The shortstop fielded the ground ball.
a shortstop who fields his position flawlessly
Last week she fielded two offers on her house.
His secretary will field requests for more information.
The senator fielded the reporters' questions.
They expect to field a strong team this year.
the greatest fighting force that any nation has ever fielded
See More
Recent Examples on the WebChris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2023
As festival fields clear out and nights draw in, the fall tour calendar is keeping the party rolling.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 12 Sep. 2023
However, his debut came to crashing end four plays into the game when Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd sacked Rodgers, who was taken into the team tent and later carted off the field.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2023
The preliminary election this week will whittle the field down to two candidates in Districts 3, 5, 6, and 7, setting the field for November’s general election and offering an early indication as to how the body’s ideological bent may change next year.
—Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
Ekeler suffered an ankle injury and was not on the field for the Chargers’ final series.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Firefighters diverted the flow from a nearby river and into fields, the publication reported.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
On Monday, the royal attended the track and field finals and spent time with Wali Noori of Team U.K., who was blinded by a Taliban bomb in 2009.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Replacing natural gas The sweeping rows of panels at the Houston farm cover an area the size of 34 football fields, Miller said.
—Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2023
Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2023
Fullerton put Allen ahead in the fifth minute, chipping in a goal off a precise cross-field pass from the right side by Sam Sheffield.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 24 Mar. 2023
Concertgoers with suite tickets can enter through any of the non-field ticket gates.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
Hiring a non-field coach with a six-figure salary shows investment by Harsin and athletic director Allen Greene.
—Nubyjas Wilborn | Nwilborn@al.com, al, 20 July 2022
There is multi-field space available for soccer and flag football.
—Joseph Goodman, al, 17 June 2022
Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 14 Sep. 2023
Between October, 2021, and September, 2022, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights fielded eight hundred and ninety-nine allegations of racial bullying in schools, double the number of allegations from the year before.
—James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2023
Prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers ran out to field with an American flag before a roaring home crowd at MetLife Stadium as the nation commemorated 9/11 victims and first responders.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2023
Because of low turnout, Bourne is no longer fielding a team, opting for a co-op with host Wareham.
Games to watch
Wednesday, Newburyport at Ipswich, 4 p.m. — The No. 9 Clippers look unstoppable, but face off against Cape Ann League foe Ipswich, who made it to last fall’s Division 4 title game.
—Julia Yohe, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
After New York’s defense held off the Bills on their first post-regulation drive, Gipson fielded a punt at his team’s 35-yard line.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
With the popular quarterback’s switch from the Green Bay Packers, the Jets are expected to field their strongest team in years.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
The senior transfer from Nebraska left the field on a cart strapped to a backboard, returned to the game and fielded a kickoff late in the second quarter, then was ruled out by the team’s medical staff at halftime.
—Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 9 Sep. 2023
Without Trump at the debate, Ramaswamy fielded plenty of attacks from rivals who sought to blunt his rising momentum.
—Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2023
See More
Noun
The airline is expanding its lounge space at the Mile High City lounge hub by more than 100,000 square feet — the size of two football fields — among other infrastructure improvements set to be complete by 2025.
—Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2023
As festival fields clear out and nights draw in, the fall tour calendar is keeping the party rolling.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 12 Sep. 2023
However, his debut came to crashing end four plays into the game when Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd sacked Rodgers, who was taken into the team tent and later carted off the field.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2023
The preliminary election this week will whittle the field down to two candidates in Districts 3, 5, 6, and 7, setting the field for November’s general election and offering an early indication as to how the body’s ideological bent may change next year.
—Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
Ekeler suffered an ankle injury and was not on the field for the Chargers’ final series.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Firefighters diverted the flow from a nearby river and into fields, the publication reported.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
On Monday, the royal attended the track and field finals and spent time with Wali Noori of Team U.K., who was blinded by a Taliban bomb in 2009.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Replacing natural gas The sweeping rows of panels at the Houston farm cover an area the size of 34 football fields, Miller said.
—Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Irving jumped to an early lead in the third minute as a sharp cross-field pass from the right side by Milton Lopez intended for Centeno was knocked in by an Allen defender for an own goal.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2023
Fullerton put Allen ahead in the fifth minute, chipping in a goal off a precise cross-field pass from the right side by Sam Sheffield.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 24 Mar. 2023
Concertgoers with suite tickets can enter through any of the non-field ticket gates.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022
Hiring a non-field coach with a six-figure salary shows investment by Harsin and athletic director Allen Greene.
—Nubyjas Wilborn | Nwilborn@al.com, al, 20 July 2022
There is multi-field space available for soccer and flag football.
—Joseph Goodman, al, 17 June 2022
Verb
The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays each fielded full lineups Wednesday that will be paid less this year than several players on the New York Yankees.
—Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 14 Sep. 2023
Between October, 2021, and September, 2022, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights fielded eight hundred and ninety-nine allegations of racial bullying in schools, double the number of allegations from the year before.
—James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2023
Prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers ran out to field with an American flag before a roaring home crowd at MetLife Stadium as the nation commemorated 9/11 victims and first responders.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2023
Because of low turnout, Bourne is no longer fielding a team, opting for a co-op with host Wareham.
Games to watch
Wednesday, Newburyport at Ipswich, 4 p.m. — The No. 9 Clippers look unstoppable, but face off against Cape Ann League foe Ipswich, who made it to last fall’s Division 4 title game.
—Julia Yohe, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
After New York’s defense held off the Bills on their first post-regulation drive, Gipson fielded a punt at his team’s 35-yard line.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023
With the popular quarterback’s switch from the Green Bay Packers, the Jets are expected to field their strongest team in years.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
The senior transfer from Nebraska left the field on a cart strapped to a backboard, returned to the game and fielded a kickoff late in the second quarter, then was ruled out by the team’s medical staff at halftime.
—Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 9 Sep. 2023
Without Trump at the debate, Ramaswamy fielded plenty of attacks from rivals who sought to blunt his rising momentum.
—Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'field.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun, Adjective, and Verb
Middle English, from Old English feld; akin to Old High German feld field, Old English flōr floor — more at floor
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1798, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of field was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing field
Articles Related to field
Dictionary Entries Near field
Cite this Entry
“Field.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
field
1 of 3 noun1
a
: an open land area free of woods and buildings
b
: an area of cleared land used especially for planting crops
c
: a piece of land put to some special use or yielding some special product
an athletic field
a gas field
d
: a place in which military operations are carried on
e
: an open space
a field of ice
2
a
: an area of activity or influence
the field of science
b
: the area of practical activity outside a laboratory, office, or factory
earth scientists working in the field
3
: a background on which something is drawn, painted, or mounted
painted white stars on a blue field
4
: the individuals that make up all or part of a contest
a race with a large field of runners
5
: a region or space in which an effect (as gravity, electricity, or magnetism) exists
6
: the area visible through the lens of an optical instrument
7
: a particular area (as of a record in a database) in which some type of information is regularly recorded
field
2 of 3 verb
: to catch or stop and throw a ball to a teammate
the shortstop fielded the ground ball
field
3 of 3 adjective
: of or relating to a field
Medical Definition
field
noun1
: an area or division of an activity
a doctor eminent in her field
2
: a complex of forces that serve as causative agents in human behavior
3
a
: a region of embryonic tissue potentially capable of a particular type of differentiation
a morphogenetic field
b
: a region or space in which a given effect (as magnetism) exists
4
a
: an area that is perceived or under observation
especially
: the area visible through the lens of an optical instrument see visual field
b
: the site of a surgical operation
Biographical Definition
Field
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Eugene 1850–1895 American poet and journalist
Field
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Marshall 1834–1906 American merchant
More from Merriam-Webster on field
Nglish: Translation of field for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of field for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share