greenfield

plural greenfields · alternative green field

1. attributiveoftenA site, to be used for housing or commerce, whose previous use (if any) was agricultural.

   greenfield development

   1 more example

   In 2007 Mr Gilbert [Dan Gilbert] made the then remarkable decision to move Quicken Loans’ suburban headquarters downtown. Mr Gilbert says that the initial thinking was humdrum—the firm’s lease was expiring, the business was growing, and he didn’t want to build a new greenfield campus. But he also had a bigger idea in mind. “We needed to keep young people here [in Michigan] and make sure they weren’t going to places like Chicago,” he says. “We knew that young people did not want to work in suburbs.”

   2025 October 15, The Economist staff, “A billionaire has rebuilt downtown Detroit. But might Dan Gilbert’s project finally run out of steam?”, in The Economist

alternative green field

1. not comparablecomputingOf a completely new development, without the need to integrate with legacy systems, etc.

   a greenfield project

   2 more examples

   When you're working in a greenfield project and have a favorable situation of designing a database from the ground up, you have complete control over your database when it comes to integration tests, if you do it correctly.

   2015, Mikael Lundin, Testing with F#, Packt Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 148

   The NSA provides that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028, which includes the initial investment in a greenfield project that would be completed after 2028.

   2025 June 13, “President Trump Approves Historic Partnership between U. S. Steel and Nippon Steel”, in Business Wire

2. not comparablebusinessPreviously untapped; free for the taking.

   a greenfield market

   1 more example

   a greenfield sales opportunity

plural Greenfields

1. countableA surname.

   “All signs point to Netflix having reached escape velocity, with subscribers scaling far faster than investors expected,” Mr. Greenfield said.

   2024 April 18, Nicole Sperling, Benjamin Mullin, quoting Rich Greenfield, “Netflix Added More Than 9 Million Subscribers in First Quarter”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2024

2. A placename:
   1. countableuncountableA neighbourhood in south-west Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, named after Herbert Greenfield.
   2. countableuncountableOne of four communities in Nova Scotia, Canada.
   3. countableuncountableA village in Flitton and Greenfield parish, Central Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire, England (OS grid ref TL0534).
   4. countableuncountableA village in Saddleworth parish, Oldham borough, Greater Manchester, England (OS grid ref SD9904).
   5. countableuncountableA hamlet in Watlington parish, South Oxfordshire district, Oxfordshire, England (OS grid ref SU7191).
   6. countableuncountableA village in Holywell community, Flintshire, Wales (OS grid ref SJ1977).
   7. countableuncountableA suburban area north of Shettleston, City of Glasgow council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NS6464)
   8. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Poinsett County, Arkansas.
   9. countableuncountableA census-designated place in Kern County, California.
   10. countableuncountableA city in Monterey County, California.
   11. countableuncountableA city in Greene County, Illinois.
   12. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of Hancock County, Indiana.
   13. countableuncountableA small city, the county seat of Adair County, Iowa.
   14. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts.
   15. countableuncountableA city in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
   16. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Rankin County, Mississippi.
   17. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of Dade County, Missouri.
   18. countableuncountableA ghost town in Mississippi County, Missouri.
   19. countableuncountableA town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.
   20. countableuncountableA town in Saratoga County, New York.
   21. countableuncountableA village in Highland County and Ross County, Ohio.
   22. countableuncountableA town in Blaine County, Oklahoma.
   23. countableuncountableA neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
   24. countableuncountableA city in Weakley County, Tennessee.
   25. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia.
   26. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
   27. countableuncountableA town in La Crosse County, Wisconsin.
   28. countableuncountableA city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
   29. countableuncountableA town in Monroe County, Wisconsin.
   30. countableuncountableA town in Sauk County, Wisconsin.
   31. countableuncountableA number of townships, listed under Greenfield Township.