Foreign Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms foreign American [fawr-in, for-] / ˈfɔr ɪn, ˈfɒr- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or derived from another country or nation; not native.

   foreign cars.

2. of or relating to contact or dealings with other countries; connected with foreign affairs.

3. external to one's own country or nation.

   a foreign country.

4. carried on abroad, or with other countries.

   foreign trade.

   Synonyms: international

5. belonging to or coming from another district, province, etc.

6. located outside a specific district, province, etc.

7. Law.

   1. of or relating to law outside of local jurisdiction.

   2. of or relating to another jurisdiction, as of another nation or state.

8. belonging to or proceeding from other persons or things.

   a statement supported by foreign testimony.

9. not belonging to the place or body where found.

   foreign matter in a chemical mixture.

10. not related to or connected with the thing under consideration.

    foreign to our discussion.

11. alien in character; irrelevant or inappropriate; remote.

    Synonyms: outside, extraneous

12. strange or unfamiliar.

foreign British / ˈfɒrɪn /

adjective

1. of, involving, located in, or coming from another country, area, people, etc

   a foreign resident

2. dealing or concerned with another country, area, people, etc

   a foreign office

3. not pertinent or related

   a matter foreign to the discussion

4. not familiar; strange

5. in an abnormal place or position

   foreign matter

   foreign bodies

6. law outside the jurisdiction of a particular state; alien

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• foreignly adverb
• foreignness noun
• nonforeign adjective
• nonforeignness noun
• proforeign adjective
• quasi-foreign adjective
• unforeign adjective

Etymology

Origin of foreign

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English forein, from Old French forain, forein, from unattested Vulgar Latin forānus, derivative of Latin forās “outside”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Reid's spouse, businessman and former Labour adviser David Taylor, is one of three men accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

From BBC

Some cruise ports in foreign countries such as Belize have medication stalls that cater to passengers.

From Barron's

Treasury has loosened some of the sanctions that had prohibited foreign investment in oil.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The most urgent task is an immediate cessation of military operations and preventing a spread and spillover of conflict," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference this week.

From Barron's

Its foreign minister also warned his Iranian counterpart to avoid "any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict."

From Barron's

Related Words

• alien
• different
• external
• offshore
• overseas
• unfamiliar

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.