brownwash

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verb

To rebrand, cover up or divert attention from amoral, illicit or criminal activities by establishing partnerships or connections with legitimate, value-based organizations e.g. NGOs.

“Company X are brownwashing when they say they are partners with child rights NGO Y, yet employ child labor in their factories in Country Z.”

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Meanings

verbbrownwash (third-person singular simple present brownwashes, present participle brownwashing, simple past and past participle brownwashed)

present singular third person brownwashes · participle present brownwashing · participle past brownwashed · past brownwashed

  1. rareTo rebrand, cover up or divert attention from amoral, illicit or criminal activities by establishing partnerships or connections with legitimate, value-based organizations e.g. NGOs.

    Company X are brownwashing when they say they are partners with child rights NGO Y, yet employ child labor in their factories in Country Z.

Origin

From brown (“best colour to cover up dirt”) + -wash.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

brownwash. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownwash

MLA

“brownwash.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownwash. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brownwash,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownwash.

Source: brownwash on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.