foreign en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈfɒɹən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈfɑɹɪn/ New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia
- /ˈfɔː.ɾɪn/ (India)
- /ˈfɔɹɪn/ (General-American)
- /ˈfɔɹən/ (General-American)
- /ˈfɑɹɪn/ (General-American)
- (UK) audio
- audio Baltimore
- /ˈfɔɹən/ (Australia)
- /ˈfɑː.ɾɪn/ (India) father-bother merger
- /ˈfɒɹɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *dʰworéh₂ Proto-Italic *þworā Proto-Italic *fworā Proto-Italic *forā Latin *fora Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂der. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ns Proto-Italic *-ans Latin -ās Latin forās Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānus Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dʰwṓr Proto-Italic *θworeis < *θworis Latin forīs < foris ▲ Latin -ānus Vulgar Latin *forānus Old French forainbor. ▲ Middle English ferinflu. Middle English foreyn ▲ English reigninflu.? English foreign From Middle English foreyn, forein, from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus (“outsider, outlander”), from Latin forās (“outside, outdoors”) or forīs (“outside, outdoors”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ (“foreign”) and now-dialectal English fremd, from Old English fremde (“strange, foreign”). The silent -g- added perhaps by analogy with reign (compare also sovereign which was similarly altered).
Meanings
-
Located outside a country or place, especially one's own.
foreign markets; foreign soil
He liked visiting foreign cities.
-
Originating from, characteristic of, belonging to, or being a citizen of a country or place other than the one under discussion.
There are many more foreign students in Europe since the Erasmus scheme started.
foreign car; foreign word; foreign citizen; foreign trade
The cane was undoubtedly of foreign make, for it had a solid silver ferrule at one end, which was not English hall–marked.
1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Ayrsham Mystery”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:Foreign companies love to complain about doing business in China.[…]Amid such moans it is worth remembering that, for all the barriers that foreign multinationals face in China, it has welcomed them with open arms compared with the protectionism imposed by Japan and South Korea at comparable stages in their economic development.
2013 August 24, “Guardian warriors and golden eggs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8850, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2023:
-
Relating to a different nation.
foreign policy; foreign navies
Plus, the Department of Justice has argued in the past that SGEs are subject to the emoluments clause, which means they cannot take payments from foreign governments.
2025 April 23, Zachary B. Wolf, “Elon Musk’s government role gets even murkier”, in CNN, archived from the original on 23 Jul 2025:
-
Not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system.
foreign body; foreign substance; foreign gene; foreign species
-
(qualifier:formerly with from, with to) Alien; strange; uncharacteristic.
Only when one has seen a Control Office at first-hand does one realise the vast amount of unsparing but largely unsung work that is behind the eventual publication, perhaps, of a paragraph in this journal's "Motive Power Miscellany" recording the appearance, within hours of the complete blockage of a main line, of many of its trains, passenger and freight, on routes quite foreign to them; and of effective emergency services either side of the disaster area.
1962 August, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, page 133:It was completely foreign to their way of thinking.
[T]his deſign is not ſo foreign from ſome Peoples Thoughts, […]
1708 December 15 (Gregorian calendar; date written), [Jonathan Swift], A Letter from a Member of the House of Commons in Ireland to a Member of the House of Commons in England, Concerning the Sacramental Test, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1709, →OCLC, page 14:
-
(obsolete) Held at a distance; excluded; exiled.
Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved him, / That he ran mad and died.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
- (Canada, US) From a different legal jurisdiction (state, province), even if within the same country.
-
Belonging to a different organization, company etc.
My bank charges me $2.50 every time I use a foreign ATM.
- (obsolete) Outside, outdoors, outdoor.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most foreign | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| forraine | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| forane | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| more foreign | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
domestic (antonym(s) of “from a different country”) · natural · native (antonym(s) of “not characteristic”) · indigenous (antonym(s) of “native to an area”) · innate
Deriveds
foreignise · forex · foreign country · foreign trade · foreign exchange market · foreign secretary · foreign accent syndrome · foreigncy · foreign minister · foreign language · foreign national · foreign fighter · foreign agent · foreign body · foreign exchange · foreign portfolio investment · foreign money · foreign policy · foreignism · foreign key · foreignly · foreignize · hyperforeign · foreign-born · foreign tongue · foreign investment · foreign legion · foreign exchange certificate · foreign service · semiforeign · foreign direct investment · foreign aid · doctrine of foreign equivalents · foreign correspondent · foreignization · foreign muck · foreign debt · Foreign Office · foreign exchange risk · foreigner · foreign currency · antiforeign · foreign devil · foreign species · unforeign · foreign affairs · chamber foreign · nonforeign · foreignness
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
introduced · infused · ingrafted · learned · inculcated · implanted
Synonyms
tramontane · outlandish · foreign · intrusive · additional · acquired · supplemental · fremd (strange) · international (from a different country) · ascititious · strange · overseas (from a different country) · extraneous (in a place where it does not belong) · alien (strange) · adventitious
Translations (341)
da fremmed (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · ca estranger (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · pt estranho (alien, strange) · pl cudzoziemski (located outside one's own country or place) · hi बिदेसी (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru заграни́чный (located outside one's own country or place) · acw أجْنَبي (located outside one's own country or place) · es foráneo (located outside one's own country or place) · hi परदेसी (located outside one's own country or place) · tg бегона (located outside one's own country or place) · ru зарубе́жный (located outside one's own country or place) · pt estrangeiro (located outside one's own country or place) · fi vieras (located outside one's own country or place) · ga coimhthíoch (alien, strange) · uk зарубі́жний (located outside one's own country or place) · te విదేశీ (located outside one's own country or place) · lo ຕ່າງປະເທດ (located outside one's own country or place) · kbd хамэ (located outside one's own country or place) · ur وِلائِتی (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · es meteco (despective) (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · vec forèst (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sh strȃn (located outside one's own country or place) · ca aliena (belonging to a different organization) · de fremd (located outside one's own country or place) · eo alilanda (relating to a different nation) · hy արտասահմանյան (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ms asing (located outside one's own country or place) · ga allúrach (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · yi אויסלענדיש (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · mk странски (located outside one's own country or place) · sq i huaj (located outside one's own country or place) · pl obcy (relating to a different nation) · eu atzerriko (located outside one's own country or place) · es extraño (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · ca estrangera (belonging to a different culture) · cs cizí (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fr étranger (located outside one's own country or place) · de ausländisch (located outside one's own country or place) · cs cizí (located outside one's own country or place) · ko 외국(外國)의 (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uz xorijiy (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · gd coimheach (located outside one's own country or place) · bo ཕྱི་རྒྱལ (located outside one's own country or place) · nl buitenlands (relating to a different nation) · la externus (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · kmr biyanî (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru инозе́мный (relating to a different nation) · lt svetimas (located outside one's own country or place) · ang elþēodiġ (located outside one's own country or place) · be заме́жны (located outside one's own country or place) · ca estrangera (located outside one's own country or place) · be іншазе́мны (located outside one's own country or place) · ja 外来の (located outside one's own country or place) · tg аҷнабӣ (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · th ต่างประเทศ (located outside one's own country or place) · rup striinã (located outside one's own country or place) · el ξένος (located outside one's own country or place) · fi ulkomainen (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uk інозе́мний (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · pl obcy (alien, strange) · osx fremiði (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · da fremmed (located outside one's own country or place) · sk cudzí (located outside one's own country or place) · sv främmande (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · la extraneus (located outside one's own country or place) · eo eksterlanda (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · it straniera (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · yi פֿרעמד (located outside one's own country or place) · cim brömade (alien, strange) · fi vieras (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · lo ຕ່າງດ້າວ (located outside one's own country or place) · ru заграни́чный (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · kk шетелдік (located outside one's own country or place) · pl cudzoziemski (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · la alienus (located outside one's own country or place) · be заме́жны (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fi ulko- (relating to a different nation) · la barbarus (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · eu atzerri- (relating to a different nation) · sl tuj (located outside one's own country or place) · hi विलायती (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · eu atzerritar (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uz chet (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sco fremmit (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · la peregrinus (located outside one's own country or place) · ky чет элдик (located outside one's own country or place) · fi vieras (belonging to a different organization) · ka უცხოური (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · enm foreyn (located outside one's own country or place) · fr étranger (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · cmn 外國的 /外国的 (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · gd coimheach (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · enm fremde (located outside one's own country or place) · ms asing (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ga coimhthíoch (relating to a different nation) · fa خارجی (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · rup xen (located outside one's own country or place) · nb utenlandsk (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ast estranxeru (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uz begona (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · gl estranxeiro (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · hy օտար (located outside one's own country or place) · id luar negeri (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca externa (belonging to a different organization) · sv främmande (located outside one's own country or place) · te విదేశీ (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · la barbarus (located outside one's own country or place) · ga iasachta (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uk чужи́й (alien, strange) · tg хориҷӣ (located outside one's own country or place) · fi vieras (held at a distance; excluded; exiled) · sl tuj (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · goh fremidi (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · et võõra (located outside one's own country or place) · nb utenlandsk (located outside one's own country or place) · eu atzerriko (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · es forastero (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · az əcnəbi (located outside one's own country or place) · goh framadi (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ga coimhthíoch (located outside one's own country or place) · ca estrangera (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ba ят (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · es extranjero (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · oc estrangièra (located outside one's own country or place) · lv svešs (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · gd Gallda (located outside one's own country or place) · tg хориҷӣ (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · az xarici (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · eu atzerritar (located outside one's own country or place) · nl buitenlands (located outside one's own country or place) · ru зарубе́жный (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · es extraño (located outside one's own country or place) · it straniero (located outside one's own country or place) · pt estrangeiro (relating to a different nation) · ga eachtrach (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca estranya (located outside one's own country or place) · tl banyaga (located outside one's own country or place) · da udenlandsk (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ur پَرْدیسی (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sl inozemski (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · rup striin (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · kmr ejnebî (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · eo alilanda (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · es extranjis (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca estranya (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · ba сит ил (relating to a different nation) · cy tramor (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · da udenlandsk (relating to a different nation) · gd Gallda (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uz begona (located outside one's own country or place) · vo foginänik (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · gl estranxeiro (located outside one's own country or place) · cu щоуждь (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fa بیگانه (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fa بیگانه (located outside one's own country or place) · hy օտար (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · nl vreemd (aan) (alien, strange) · grc ἐξωτικός (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ckt ӄуԓинутэԓьын (located outside one's own country or place) · dsb cuzy (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · pl obcy (located outside one's own country or place) · eo fremda (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · bg чуждестра́нен (located outside one's own country or place) · sk zahraničný (located outside one's own country or place) · ja 外国の (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ro străin (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ast estrañu (located outside one's own country or place) · rup cãsen (located outside one's own country or place) · ca estrangera (relating to a different nation) · sga echtrann (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · yi פֿרעמד (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · io stranjera (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · be зарубе́жны (located outside one's own country or place) · sh inozemni (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · nn utanlandsk (relating to a different nation) · ca estrany (located outside one's own country or place) · uk інозе́мний (relating to a different nation) · ar أَجْنَبِيّ (located outside one's own country or place) · ka საზღვარგარეთული (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sh стра̑н (located outside one's own country or place) · is erlendur (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · nb utenlandsk (relating to a different nation) · pl obcy (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · vi nước ngoài (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ko 외래(外來)의 (located outside one's own country or place) · ba ят (alien, strange) · el αλλοδαπός (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · he זָר (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · tg ғариб (located outside one's own country or place) · lv svešs (alien, strange) · lv svešs (relating to a different nation) · ar أَجْنَبِيّ (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · hi विदेशी (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · da udlænding (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · cs zahraniční (located outside one's own country or place) · la advena (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sv utländsk (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uk зо́внішній (relating to a different nation) · nds frömd (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · rup xeanã (located outside one's own country or place) · oc estrangièr (located outside one's own country or place) · kaw aneh (located outside one's own country or place) · ru заграни́чный (relating to a different nation) · ckt ӄуԓинутэԓьын (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca estranger (relating to a different nation) · uz chet (located outside one's own country or place) · ca aliè (belonging to a different organization) · ang elþēodiġ (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca aliè (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · he זר (located outside one's own country or place) · eo alilanda (located outside one's own country or place) · ast foriatu (located outside one's own country or place) · fa اجنبی (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · de ausländisch (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru иностра́нный (located outside one's own country or place) · da fremmedartet (alien, strange) · ru инозе́мный (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · tg ғариб (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · tr yabancı (located outside one's own country or place) · enm fremde (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · tet malae (located outside one's own country or place) · grc ξένος (located outside one's own country or place) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca exòtic (belonging to a different culture) · de fremd (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ga coimhthíoch (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · mk странски (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · vec forèsto (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · km បរទេស (located outside one's own country or place) · es foraño (located outside one's own country or place) · rup xen (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca extern (belonging to a different organization) · bn বৈদেশিক (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ba сит ил (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ar غَرِيب (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · el αλλοεθνής (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru иноро́дный (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · pt exterior (relating to a different nation) · ru иностра́нный (relating to a different nation) · kmr biyanî (located outside one's own country or place) · ky чет өлкөлүк (located outside one's own country or place) · nl vreemd (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · lv ārzemju (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · nl vreemd (located outside one's own country or place) · fr étrangère (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ckb بێگانە (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · io stranjera (relating to a different nation) · uk закордо́нний (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ur پَرْدیسی (located outside one's own country or place) · ca aliena (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · cmn 外國的 /外国的 (located outside one's own country or place) · enm fremde (alien, strange) · ru чужо́й (alien, strange) · nl allochtoon (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru зарубе́жный (relating to a different nation) · az əcnəbi (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ga allúrach (located outside one's own country or place) · ang fremde (alien, strange) · eo fremda (alien, strange) · it straniero (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ang elþēodiġ (relating to a different nation) · uk інозе́мний (located outside one's own country or place) · es extranjero (relating to a different nation) · vi ngoại quốc (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca estranger (located outside one's own country or place) · cs zahraniční (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ca exòtica (belonging to a different culture) · es extranjero (located outside one's own country or place) · txb alletstse (alien, strange) · ru иностра́нный (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · vi nước ngoài (located outside one's own country or place) · fa غریب (located outside one's own country or place) · lb friem (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · jay mulkuruŋu (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fi vieras (alien, strange) · fo útlendskur (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sk cudzí (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · mk туѓ (located outside one's own country or place) · oc estrangièr (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · pl obcy (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · pt estranho (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · pt estrangeiro (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · nl buitenlands (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sh tȕđ (located outside one's own country or place) · ru вне́шний (relating to a different nation) · nn utanlandsk (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · lb auslännesch (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · tr yabancı (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · lv ārzemju (relating to a different nation) · gml vrȫmede (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · mfe etranze (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fi vieras (relating to a different nation) · ru чужезе́мный (located outside one's own country or place) · ba сит ил (located outside one's own country or place) · es exterior (relating to a different nation) · eo fremda (located outside one's own country or place) · es foráneo (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · be заграні́чны (located outside one's own country or place) · fi ulkomaalainen (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · cmn 外來的 /外来的 (located outside one's own country or place) · th ต่างด้าว (located outside one's own country or place) · grc ἀλλότριος (located outside one's own country or place) · mfe etranze (located outside one's own country or place) · oc estrangièr (relating to a different nation) · ca Catalan: estranger (belonging to a different culture) · az xarici (located outside one's own country or place) · lv svešs (located outside one's own country or place) · oc estrangièra (relating to a different nation) · ca estrany (not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system) · id asing (alien, strange) · ru чу́ждый (alien, strange) · ur بِدیسی (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · hi परदेसी (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ka უცხო (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · uk закордо́нний (located outside one's own country or place) · pl zagraniczny (located outside one's own country or place) · hu külföldi (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sco fremmit (located outside one's own country or place) · sh иноземни (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · af vreemd (located outside one's own country or place) · el ξένος (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · jv anèh (located outside one's own country or place) · nrf êtrangi (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · vi xa lạ (alien, strange) · enm foreyn (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · be чужазе́мны (located outside one's own country or place) · ady хамэ (located outside one's own country or place) · eu kanpo- (relating to a different nation) · pl zagraniczny (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · oc estrangièra (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · sh ту̏ђ (located outside one's own country or place) · grc ξενικός (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · ru инозе́мный (located outside one's own country or place) · nn utanlandsk (located outside one's own country or place) · bg чуждестра́нен (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · bg чужд (located outside one's own country or place) · rup striin (located outside one's own country or place) · uz xorijiy (located outside one's own country or place) · nv doo tʼáá diné nilíinii (originating from or characteristic of a different country) · fi syrjitty (held at a distance; excluded; exiled) · ko 다른 나라의 (originating from or characteristic of a different country)