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

Students study the physical remains of industrial and technological activities, often conducting fieldwork at former mining sites and industrial complexes across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. —Scott White, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025

Fishing for New Discoveries The research team conducted fieldwork at Morode Beach, Ainan, South Japan, to study the anemonefish Amphiprion clarkii and its host, the sea anemone Entacmaea quadricolor. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

From June 2010 to November 2021, the team conducted fieldwork in three temperate forests, each with over 100 mature Oreorchis patens. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2025

If future fieldwork confirms that these cones are present throughout the 40- to 45-kilometer (25- to 28-mile) diameter of the North Pole Dome, this lines up with the 62-mile (100-km) crater size suggested by the new study. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 7 Mar. 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