Dictionary

afield en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /əˈfiːld/
• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English afeld, a-felde, o felde, on felde, from Old English on felde (“afield”, literally “in (the) field”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + field.

Meanings

1. Away (from the home or starting point, physical or conceptual). (Often preceded by far, farther, or further.)
   • This latest excursion took us farther afield than ever.
   • His latest remarks went far afield of any mainstream conception.
   • There were Christians developing notable traditions somewhat away from the Mediterranean and outside the Roman empire, in places like Armenia, or even further afield, in India 2002, Philip F. Esler, The Early Christian World, →ISBN, page 3:
   • The Christian movement, forced by adversity to abandon its first home in Jerusalem, reached far afield and swept over all of the civilized world. 1924, First Parish in Concord (Concord, Mass.)., Gail Cleland, Loren Benjamin Macdonald, Trinitarian Congregational Church (Concord, Mass.) (contributors), The Union Service in the Meeting House of the First Parish in Concord, Sunday, October Fifth, 1924, After the Burning of the Trinitarian Congregational Church, October Fourth, 1924, page 11:
   • Whether things could have been different is an open question, and one that would take us far afield from the focus of this book. 1999, Jacob S. Hacker, The Road to Nowhere: The Genesis of President Clinton's Plan for Healthy Security, →ISBN, page 118:
   • My fellow passengers are a mixture of people returning from a day out in the capital, locals doing short hops, and a few (like me) heading farther afield. 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:
2. On the field.
   • We now have both teams afield and can begin the match.
3. Out in the open.
   • Meanwhile, witch Tituba, Tonight you sleep afield, molest not this house. Return here early for your judgement. 2000, Robert Manns, Night of the Frogs & Sautee and Nacoochee, →ISBN, page 27:
   • The merchant was much interested in my journey, and thought it dangerous to sleep afield. 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, page 116:

Forms

Translations (19)

de hinaus (digressing from the topic) · de jenseits (digressing from the topic) · ru за́ ра́мками (digressing from the topic) · ru не́ по́ существу́ (digressing from the topic) · ru в по́ле (on the field) · es en el campo (on the field) · de abseits (digressing from the topic) · de im Freien (out in the open) · kmr li saheyê (on the field) · de auf dem Platz (on the field) · de auf dem Spielfeld (on the field) · de weg (digressing from the topic) · kmr li qadê (on the field) · ru на́ по́ле (on the field) · kmr li meydanê (on the field) · kmr dûr (digressing from the topic) · de unter freiem Himmel (out in the open) · kmr li derve (out in the open) · de fort (digressing from the topic)