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Glite Dictionary
greenwashing

greenwashing

1 6.6
A false claim that a company or product is good for the environment
  • noun
  • /ˈɡriːnˌwɔːʃɪŋ/
  • Literature
translation icon : lavado verde
  • Many companies use greenwashing to mislead consumers about their environmental practices.

And you know, his change of heart and mind, you know, you can ask whether it's greenwashing or how sincere it is or how real it is.

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Examples

  • Greenwashing, whereby corporations provide mere lip service to sustainability but continue their environmentally destructive practices, is a real threat.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The other issue is that while it's easy to blame companies for greenwashing, we play a role in it too.

  • Other than that, I think it is really hard because of how prevalent greenwashing is these days.

  • This greenwashing of capitalism is not going to solve the global climate crisis, protect our communities from harm, or manage our common resources.

    Blog text (20)

  • It is corporate greenwashing at its worst.

    Blog text (19)

  • Greenwashing - or attempting to spin a company's sustainability creds without real substance - has been an issue that has been building for years.

    Blog text (21)

  • While the MCC states that it is committed to community-led development and sustainable agriculture, its history in Africa, particularly its partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), signals that this may be little more than greenwashing.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The report highlights several instances of greenwashing in the advertising of eco-friendly products.

  • Critics argue that the recent campaign is nothing more than greenwashing and lacks genuine commitment to sustainability.

Synonyms

whitewash
vsgreenwashing
4 6.8

An attempt to hide bad facts to make something seem better

is narrower in topic, applying specifically to false environmental responsibility claims
blatant ecopornography
vsgreenwashing
  • Literature
9.9

A type of advertising that uses nature images to sell things while not really helping the environment

is broader, covering any false show of environmental responsibility
green con
vsgreenwashing
9.9

A scam that falsely says a product is good for the environment to get money or support

focuses on creating a false responsible image rather than explicit fraud
pure eyewash
vsgreenwashing
  • UK
9.9

Words or actions that try to trick people into thinking things are better than they are

is usually about environmental claims rather than general misleading talk

Antonyms

authenticity
71 4.8

A quality that shows something is real and believable to people

How Honest

greenwashing
  • Literature
1 6.6
deception
163 3.9
lie
∞ 2.7

Surface Forms

greenwashing singular
greenwashings plural

Morphology

greenwashing = greenwash (semi-transparent) = green + wash + ing

Formed from 'green' + 'wash' with '-ing'; the components are clear but the specialized metaphorical sense of deceptive environmental marketing is not fully inferable by all learners.

Etymology

Greenwashing joins green, the color of nature and 'environment-friendly' ideas, with washing, like in whitewash where 'to wash' can mean 'to cover up' rather than clean. So greenwashing means making something seem more environmentally responsible than it really is.