fieldwork

noun

field·​work ˈfēld-ˌwərk 

1

: a temporary fortification thrown up by an army in the field

2

: work done in the field (as by students) to gain practical experience and knowledge through firsthand observation

3

: the gathering of anthropological or sociological data through the interviewing and observation of subjects in the field

field-worker

ˈfēld-ˌwər-kər 

noun

Examples of fieldwork in a Sentence

an anthropologist who has done fieldwork in the South Pacific

Recent Examples on the Web

Some ships also host scientists onboard who are doing fieldwork and testing emerging technologies, and who may offer lectures on their research. —Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 29 Oct. 2025

Margaris is an anthropological archaeologist whose fieldwork has taken her to such destinations as Turkey, Israel, Denmark, the US Southwest, and Alaska. —JSTOR Daily, 28 Oct. 2025

Boss’ recent fieldwork showed the stores had a lot of inventory from notable brands like Helly Hansen, Calvin Klein, BCGB, and Tommy Hilfiger. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025

Over and over, Art gifted me with his deep knowledge of Pacific flora and volunteered anecdotes of his extensive sociological fieldwork. —Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fieldwork

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• clockwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork