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foreign. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
foreign, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
foreign in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English foreyn, forein, from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus (“outsider, outlander”), from Latin forās (“outside, outdoors”), also spelled 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).
Pronunciation
Adjective
foreign (comparative more foreign, superlative most foreign)
- 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.
- foreign car; foreign word; foreign citizen; foreign trade
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:The cane was undoubtedly of foreign make, for it had a solid silver ferrule at one end, which was not English hall–marked.
2013 August 24, “Guardian warriors and golden eggs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8850: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.
There are many more foreign students in Europe since the Erasmus scheme started.
- Relating to a different nation.
- foreign policy; foreign navies
- Not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system.
- foreign body;foreign substance;foreign gene;foreign species
- (with to, formerly with from) Alien; strange.
It was completely foreign to their way of thinking.
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:[T]his deſign is not ſo foreign from ſome Peoples Thoughts, […]
1962 August, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, page 133: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.
- (obsolete) Held at a distance; excluded; exiled.
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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved him, / That he ran mad and died.
- (US, state law) From a different one of the states of the United States, as of a state of residence or incorporation.
- Belonging to a different organization, company etc.
My bank charges me $2.50 every time I use a foreign ATM.
- (obsolete) Outside, outdoors, outdoor.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of "from a different country"): domestic
- (antonym(s) of "not characteristic"): native
- (antonym(s) of "native to an area"): indigenous
Derived terms
Translations
located outside one's own country or place
- Afrikaans: vreemd (af)
- Albanian: i huaj (sq)
- Arabic: أَجْنَبِيّ (ʔajnabiyy)
- Hijazi Arabic: أجْنَبي (ʔajnabi)
- Armenian: օտար (hy) (ōtar)
- Aromanian: xen m, xeanã f, cãsen m, striin m, striinã f
- Asturian: estrañu, foriatu
- Azerbaijani: xarici (az), əcnəbi (az)
- Bashkir: сит ил (sit il)
- Basque: atzerriko, atzerritar
- Belarusian: заме́жны (zamjéžny), чужазе́мны (čužazjémny), іншазе́мны (inšazjémny), зарубе́жны (zarubjéžny), заграні́чны (zahraníčny)
- Bulgarian: чужд (bg) (čužd), чуждестра́нен (bg) (čuždestránen)
- Catalan: estranger (ca) m, estrangera (ca) f (country); estrany (ca) m, estranya (ca) f (place)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 外國的/外国的 (wàiguóde), , 外來的/外来的 (zh) (wàilái de)
- Chukchi: ӄуԓинутэԓьын (quḷinutėḷʹyn)
- Czech: cizí (cs), zahraniční (cs)
- Danish: fremmed (da)
- Dutch: vreemd (nl), buitenlands (nl)
- Esperanto: alilanda, fremda (eo)
- Estonian: võõra
- Finnish: vieras (fi)
- French: étranger (fr) m
- Galician: estranxeiro (gl) m
- German: fremd (de), ausländisch (de)
- Greek: ξένος (el) m (xénos)
- Ancient: ξένος (xénos), ἀλλότριος (allótrios)
- Hebrew: זר (he) m (zar)
- Hindi: परदेसी (pardesī)
- Irish: allúrach
- Italian: estraneo (it) m, estranea (it) f (please verify) straniero (it)
- Japanese: 外来の (ja) (gairai no)
- Javanese: anèh
- Kazakh: шетелдік (şeteldık)
- Khmer: បរទេស (km) (bɑɑrĕəʼteih)
- Korean: 외래(外來)의 (oerae-ui)
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: biyanî (ku)
- Kyrgyz: чет элдик (cet eldik), чет өлкөлүк (cet ölkölük)
- Lao: ຕ່າງປະເທດ (tāng pa thēt), ຕ່າງດ້າວ (tāng dāo)
- Latin: extraneus, barbarus (la), peregrinus, alienus (la)
- Latvian: svešs
- Lithuanian: svetimas m
- Macedonian: туѓ m (tuǵ), странски (stranski)
- Malay: asing (ms)
- Middle English: foreyn, fremde
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: utenlandsk (no)
- Nynorsk: utanlandsk (nn)
- Old English: elþēodiġ
- Old Javanese: aneh
- Persian: غریب (fa) (ğarib), بیگانه (fa) (bigâne)
- Polish: obcy (pl), zagraniczny (pl), cudzoziemski (pl)
- Portuguese: estrangeiro (pt)
- Russian: иностра́нный (ru) m (inostránnyj), зарубе́жный (ru) (zarubéžnyj), инозе́мный (ru) (inozémnyj), заграни́чный (ru) (zagraníčnyj), чужезе́мный (ru) (čužezémnyj)
- Scots: fremmit
- Scottish Gaelic: coimheach, Gallda
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: стра̑н, ту̏ђ
- Roman: strȃn (sh), tȕđ (sh)
- Slovak: cudzí, zahraničný
- Slovene: tuj
- Spanish: extraño (es), (please verify) extranjero (es)
- Swedish: främmande (sv)
- Tagalog: banyaga (tl)
- Tajik: хориҷӣ (tg) (xorijī), бегона (tg) (begona), ғариб (tg) (ġarib)
- Telugu: విదేశీ (vidēśī)
- Tetum: malae
- Thai: ต่างประเทศ (th) (dtàang-bprà-têet), ต่างด้าว (th) (dtàang-dâao)
- Tibetan: ཕྱི་རྒྱལ (phyi rgyal)
- Turkish: yabancı (tr)
- Ukrainian: інозе́мний (inozémnyj), закордо́нний (zakordónnyj), зарубі́жний (zarubížnyj)
- Urdu: پَرْدیسی (pardesī)
- Uzbek: xorijiy (uz), begona (uz), chet (uz)
- Vietnamese: nước ngoài (vi)
- Yiddish: פֿרעמד (fremd)
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originating from or characteristic of a different country
- Arabic: غَرِيب (ar) (ḡarīb), أَجْنَبِيّ (ʔajnabiyy)
- Armenian: արտասահմանյան (hy) (artasahmanyan), օտար (hy) (ōtar)
- Aromanian: xen, striin
- Asturian: estranxeru (ast)
- Azerbaijani: əcnəbi (az), xarici (az)
- Bashkir: сит ил (sit il)
- Basque: atzerritar, atzerriko
- Belarusian: заме́жны (zamjéžny)
- Bengali: বৈদেশিক (bn) (bōideśik)
- Bulgarian: чуждестра́нен (bg) m (čuždestránen)
- Catalan: estranger (ca) m, estrangera (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 外國的/外国的 (zh) (wàiguó de)
- Chukchi: ӄуԓинутэԓьын (quḷinutėḷʹyn)
- Czech: cizí (cs), zahraniční (cs)
- Danish: udlænding (da) c, udenlandsk (da)
- Dutch: buitenlands (nl), (modern usage) allochtoon (nl)
- Esperanto: fremda (eo), alilanda, eksterlanda
- Faroese: útlendskur m
- Finnish: ulkomainen (fi), ulkomaalainen (fi)
- French: étranger (fr) m, étrangère (fr) f
- Galician: estranxeiro (gl)
- Georgian: უცხო (ucxo), საზღვარგარეთული (sazɣvargaretuli), უცხოური (ucxouri)
- German: ausländisch (de), fremd (de)
- Old High German: framadi, fremidi
- Gothic: 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (framaþeis)
- Greek: αλλοεθνής (el) (alloethnís), αλλοδαπός (el) (allodapós), ξένος (el) (xénos)
- Ancient: ἐξωτικός (exōtikós), ξενικός (xenikós)
- Hebrew: זָר (he) (zar)
- Hindi: विदेशी (hi) (videśī), बिदेसी (hi) (bidesī), परदेसी (pardesī), विलायती (hi) (vilāytī)
- Hungarian: külföldi (hu)
- Icelandic: erlendur (is)
- Ido: stranjera (io)
- Indonesian: luar negeri (id)
- Irish: eachtrach, iasachta, allúrach
- Italian: straniero (it) m, straniera (it) f
- Japanese: 外国の (ja) (がいこくの, gaikoku no)
- Korean: 외국(外國)의 (oegug-ui), 다른 나라의 (dareun nara-ui)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: بێگانە (bêgane)
- Northern Kurdish: biyanî (ku), ejnebî (ku)
- Latin: externus, advena, barbarus (la)
- Latvian: ārzemju, svešs
- Low German: frömd
- Luxembourgish: auslännesch, friem
- Macedonian: странски (stranski)
- Malay: asing (ms)
- Middle English: foreyn, fremde
- Middle Low German: vrȫmede
- Navajo: doo tʼáá diné nilíinii
- Norman: êtrangi (Jersey)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: utenlandsk (no)
- Nynorsk: utanlandsk (nn)
- Old Church Slavonic:
- Cyrillic: щоуждь (štuždĭ)
- Old English: elþēodiġ
- Old Saxon: fremiði
- Persian: بیگانه (fa) (bigâne), خارجی (fa) (xâreji), اجنبی (fa) (ajnabi)
- Polish: zagraniczny (pl), cudzoziemski (pl), obcy (pl)
- Portuguese: estrangeiro (pt)
- Romanian: străin (ro)
- Russian: иностра́нный (ru) m (inostránnyj), зарубе́жный (ru) (zarubéžnyj), инозе́мный (ru) (inozémnyj), заграни́чный (ru) (zagraníčnyj)
- Scots: fremmit
- Scottish Gaelic: coimheach, Gallda
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: иноземни
- Roman: inozemni (sh)
- Slovak: cudzí m
- Slovene: inozemski, tuj
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: cuzy
- Spanish: extranjero (es), forastero (es), foráneo (es)
- Swedish: främmande (sv), utländsk (sv)
- Tajik: хориҷӣ (tg) (xorijī), аҷнабӣ (tg) (ajnabī), ғариб (tg) (ġarib)
- Telugu: విదేశీ (vidēśī)
- Turkish: yabancı (tr)
- Ukrainian: інозе́мний (inozémnyj), закордо́нний (zakordónnyj)
- Urdu: بِدیسی (bidesī), پَرْدیسی (pardesī), وِلائِتی (ur) (vilāytī)
- Uzbek: xorijiy (uz), begona (uz), chet (uz)
- Venetian: forèsto (vec), forèst
- Vietnamese: ngoại quốc (vi), nước ngoài (vi)
- Volapük: foginänik (vo)
- Welsh: tramor (cy)
- Yan-nhangu: mulkuruŋu
- Yiddish: פֿרעמד (fremd), אויסלענדיש (oyslendish)
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relating to a different nation
- Bashkir: сит ил (sit il)
- Basque: atzerri-, kanpo-
- Catalan: estranger (ca) m, estrangera (ca) f
- Danish: udenlandsk (da)
- Dutch: buitenlands (nl)
- Esperanto: alilanda
- Finnish: vieras (fi), ulko- (fi) (ulkopolitiikka=foreign policy)
- Ido: stranjera (io)
- Latvian: svešs, ārzemju
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: utenlandsk (no)
- Nynorsk: utanlandsk (nn)
- Old English: elþēodiġ
- Polish: obcy (pl)
- Portuguese: estrangeiro (pt), exterior (pt)
- Russian: вне́шний (ru) (vnéšnij) (policy), иностра́нный (ru) m (inostránnyj), зарубе́жный (ru) (zarubéžnyj), инозе́мный (ru) (inozémnyj), заграни́чный (ru) (zagraníčnyj)
- Spanish: extranjero (es), exterior (es)
- Ukrainian: зо́внішній (zóvnišnij), інозе́мний (inozémnyj)
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not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system
held at a distance; excluded; exiled
US: from a different state
belonging to a different organization
belonging to a different culture
Translations to be checked: "belonging to a different culture"
Noun
foreign (plural foreigns)
- A foreign person, particularly:
- (now informal) A foreigner: a person from another country.
- (obsolete) An outsider: a person from another place or group.
- (obsolete) A non-guildmember.
- A foreign vehicle, particularly:
- (obsolete) A foreign ship.
- (slang) A foreign whip, a car produced abroad.
2019 August 28, Yb Tak30ver (lyrics and music), “Island”, 1:16 :In the foreign switching lanes and we riding
[…]
A island I wanna live somewhere silent
I'm shining I'm bout to flood my neck with diamonds
Yeah I've been spitting facts these niggas lying
I'm driving stolens, foreigns, yeah I'm riding
- (obsolete) An outhouse; an outdoor toilet.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bathroom
1303, Richard Mannyng, Handlyng Synne, l. 7436 f:
- A foreign area, particularly:
- (now dialect) An area of a community that lies outside the legal town or parish limits.
- (obsolete, usually in the plural) An area of a monastery outside its legal limits or serving as an outer court.
- Short for various phrases, including foreign language, foreign parts, and foreign service.
Translations
References
- "foreign, adj. and n." in the Oxford English Dictionary (1897), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Anagrams