greenie

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"greenie" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“greenie” is an uncommon English word, ranked #97,078 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#97,078
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.

Key facts for greenie
PropertyValue
Headwordgreenie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#97,078
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “greenie” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). greenie lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for greenie is 7 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #97,078 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for greenie, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From green + -ie. Environmentalist sense first attested in Australia in 1973, referring to trade unionists who supported green bans. The correct English form is greenie, spelled G-R-E-E-N-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.
  2. 2
    A member of the Australian Greens.
  3. 3
    A person from Colorado; after the color of the Colorado license plate.
  4. 4
    An unripe fruit.
  5. 5
    A beginner, a novice; a greenhorn.
  6. 6
    A small, green object.
  7. 7
    A small, green object.
  8. 8
    A small, green object.
  9. 9
    Any of various birds having predominantly green plumage.
  10. 10
    Any of various birds having predominantly green plumage.
  11. 11
    Any of various birds having predominantly green plumage.
  12. 12
    Any of various birds having predominantly green plumage.
  13. 13
    An Atlantic thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum), a herring-like fish in the family Clupeidae.
  14. 14
    The yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus), a fish in the family Sebastidae.
  15. 15
    Diminutive of greenback.
  16. 16
    The player whose ball is closest to the hole on a par-3 hole after the first shot (drive), in the case when multiple players reach the green on that first shot and the player with the closest ball sinks the ball within the next two shots.
  17. 17
    A Green Beret.

Etymology

From green + -ie. Environmentalist sense first attested in Australia in 1973, referring to trade unionists who supported green bans.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "greenie"?
"greenie" is spelled G-R-E-E-N-I-E.
What does "greenie" mean?
As a noun, "greenie" means: An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.
What is the origin of the word "greenie"?
From green + -ie. Environmentalist sense first attested in Australia in 1973, referring to trade unionists who supported green bans. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “greenie”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-R-E-E-N-I-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list