1
: of the color green
2
3
a
: envious sense 1
—used especially in the phrase green with envy
b
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
: not ripened or matured
green peaches
5
a
: deficient in training, knowledge, or experience
green recruits
b
: deficient in sophistication and savoir faire : naive
was green and credulous
c
: not fully qualified for or experienced in a particular function
8
a
often capitalized
: relating to or being an environmentalist political movement
b
: concerned with or supporting environmentalism
green consumers who practice recycling
c
: tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting)
greener energy solutions
9
: pleasantly alluring
10
a
: not fully processed or treated: such as
(1)
: freshly sawed
green lumber
(2)
: not aged
green liquor
(3)
: not dressed or tanned
green hides
b
: not in condition for a particular use
plural greens
1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: something of a green color
3
: green vegetation: such as
a
greens plural
(1)
: leafy herbs (such as spinach, dandelions, or Swiss chard) that are cooked as a vegetable
(2)
b
greens plural
: leafy parts of plants for use as decoration
4
: an area consisting of or resembling grass: such as
a
: a usually grassy park or common in the center of a town or village
Mashpee, Massachusetts has a new town green, complete with bandstand.—
Alan D. Haas
Alan D. Haas
b
c
5
6
or Green
: environmentalist
especially
: a member of an activist political party focusing on environmental and social issues
7
physics
: one of the three colors (see color entry 1 sense 15) that quarks have in the theory of quantum chromodynamics
Whereas there is just one kind of electric charge, however, there are three kinds of color charge, usually called red, blue and green. (The names, of course, have nothing to do with colors in the everyday sense.)—Elliott D. Bloom and Gary J. Feldman
Elliott D. Bloom and Gary J. Feldman
Synonyms
Examples of green in a Sentence
Adjective
fields green with meadow grass
a new pitcher who's pretty green, even by rookie standards
Noun
a mixture of blues and greens
The town green was the center of activity.
It took him four shots to get to the green.
Recent Examples on the WebShaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
This is a compact form of the long-popular native southern evergreen with glossy, dark green leaves and showy white, late spring blooms.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
By wearing red and green clothing, observers can enhance their visual experience during the dimming sunlight of the eclipse.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
For now, the billions from Aramco revenues flow to the PIF, which then spends lavishly on the kingdom’s new economy, including its investments in a green transition.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Rasool says California has awarded $22 million for green hydrogen projects, including three plants that will tap renewable electricity to power electrolyzers, which produce hydrogen from water.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Mickelson would win two more green jackets and took the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral in 2009.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Golf great Jack Nicklaus has won a record six green jackets.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Start in Savannah, Georgia, for its signature lush green parks, river views, and trickling fountains.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024
So why not opt for complementary shades of green on your hands and feet?
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2024
Salad Spinner $65 Buy on Bed Bath & Beyond $66 $60 Buy on Oxo $65
If salads are in your future, a salad spinner to dry your greens will make a great line item on your registry.
—Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
So, rather than picturing cherry red and leprechaun green, imagine an emerald velvet loveseat set against a ballet-slipper-pink wall, or celery-green tweed chairs in front of a red brick hearth.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
But the New Hampshire resident would rather mentor younger coworkers and chat up clients than measure putts on a green.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Her family requested those who attended the service to wear green, which Kelly was seldom seen without.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024
Thick corded trunks snake upward from the ground, reaching toward an overhead lattice of branches splotched with green.
—Pragathi Ravi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
However, Memorial Park’s Par 4’s and Par 5’s are among the longest on Tour, and the Poa annua greens provide less pure putting surfaces.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
Because of these factors, sustainability financing has emerged as a solution to green the operations of data centers and weave together environmental stewardship goals with the increasing demand for digital infrastructure.
—Phillip Marangella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
As California hills are greening up with spring rains (well, most years, anyway), grocery stores and farmers markets are starting to have glorious new greenery, too.
—Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Wild daffodils are blooming, and buds are greening on trees, but Indiana’s forests and meadows are also seeing an invasion this spring.
—The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024
The Arctic is greening before scientists’ eyes, as plant species march north and shake up ecosystems.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
An aerial shot of the Cesar E. Chavez campus in Oakland, California, greened up by the Trust for Public Land.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
Nielsen-Gammon said the heat struck early in the season and before vegetation could green up and become less likely to burn.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
To determine whether greening our electricity and transport will help shift some of the undue burden, a team of researchers based in San Diego did two analyses focused on PM 2.5 exposure.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 21 June 2023
Adjective
Healthiest cities in the United States The four key dimensions the study used to determine the healthiest cities in the country were health care, food, fitness and green space.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
This is a compact form of the long-popular native southern evergreen with glossy, dark green leaves and showy white, late spring blooms.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
By wearing red and green clothing, observers can enhance their visual experience during the dimming sunlight of the eclipse.
—The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024
For now, the billions from Aramco revenues flow to the PIF, which then spends lavishly on the kingdom’s new economy, including its investments in a green transition.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Rasool says California has awarded $22 million for green hydrogen projects, including three plants that will tap renewable electricity to power electrolyzers, which produce hydrogen from water.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Mickelson would win two more green jackets and took the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral in 2009.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Golf great Jack Nicklaus has won a record six green jackets.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Start in Savannah, Georgia, for its signature lush green parks, river views, and trickling fountains.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
The deciding shot, however, came from Garcia, an approach that found the water to the left of the 18th green.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024
So why not opt for complementary shades of green on your hands and feet?
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2024
Salad Spinner $65 Buy on Bed Bath & Beyond $66 $60 Buy on Oxo $65
If salads are in your future, a salad spinner to dry your greens will make a great line item on your registry.
—Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
So, rather than picturing cherry red and leprechaun green, imagine an emerald velvet loveseat set against a ballet-slipper-pink wall, or celery-green tweed chairs in front of a red brick hearth.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
But the New Hampshire resident would rather mentor younger coworkers and chat up clients than measure putts on a green.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Her family requested those who attended the service to wear green, which Kelly was seldom seen without.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024
Thick corded trunks snake upward from the ground, reaching toward an overhead lattice of branches splotched with green.
—Pragathi Ravi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
However, Memorial Park’s Par 4’s and Par 5’s are among the longest on Tour, and the Poa annua greens provide less pure putting surfaces.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Joey Logano opted to take two tires instead of four, jumped off pit road and led the field to green for the next stage.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
Because of these factors, sustainability financing has emerged as a solution to green the operations of data centers and weave together environmental stewardship goals with the increasing demand for digital infrastructure.
—Phillip Marangella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
As California hills are greening up with spring rains (well, most years, anyway), grocery stores and farmers markets are starting to have glorious new greenery, too.
—Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Wild daffodils are blooming, and buds are greening on trees, but Indiana’s forests and meadows are also seeing an invasion this spring.
—The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024
The Arctic is greening before scientists’ eyes, as plant species march north and shake up ecosystems.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
An aerial shot of the Cesar E. Chavez campus in Oakland, California, greened up by the Trust for Public Land.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
Nielsen-Gammon said the heat struck early in the season and before vegetation could green up and become less likely to burn.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
To determine whether greening our electricity and transport will help shift some of the undue burden, a team of researchers based in San Diego did two analyses focused on PM 2.5 exposure.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 21 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'green.' 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
Adjective, Noun, and Verb
Middle English grene, from Old English grēne; akin to Old English grōwan to grow
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of green was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing green
Dictionary Entries Near green
Cite this Entry
“Green.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
green
1 of 2 adjective1
: of the color green
2
a
: covered by green leaves or herbs
b
: consisting of green plants or of the leafy part of a plant
a green salad
3
: not fully grown or ripe
4
a
: marked by a sickly appearance
b
: envious
—used especially in the phrase green with envy
5
: lacking training, knowledge, or experience
green troops
6
a
: concerned with or supporting environmentalism
b
: tending to preserve the quality of the environment
green dish soap
green
2 of 2 noun1
: a color (as that of fresh grass) that ranges between blue and yellow
2
a
: green vegetation
b
plural
: leafy parts of plants used for some purpose (as ornament or food)
3
: a grassy plain or plot
especially
: a smooth grassy area at the end of a golf fairway containing the hole
4
5
often capitalized
: environmentalist
especially
: a member of a political party focusing on environmental and social issues
greeny
adjective
ˈgrē-nē
Medical Definition
green
1 of 2 adjective1
: of the color green
2
of a wound
: being recently incurred and unhealed
3
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
of hemolytic streptococci
: tending to produce green pigment when cultured on blood media
green
2 of 2 noun1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: a pigment or dye that colors green see janus green
Geographical Definition
Green
geographical name
1
river 730 miles (1175 kilometers) long in the western U.S. flowing from the Wind River Range in western Wyoming south into the Colorado River in southeastern Utah
2
city in northeastern Ohio south of Akron population 22,817
Biographical Definition
Green 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Julien or Julian 1900–1998 French novelist
Green
2 of 2biographical name (2)
William 1873–1952 American labor leader
More from Merriam-Webster on green
Nglish: Translation of green for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of green for Arabic Speakers
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