foreign

[ fawr-in, for- ]
See synonyms for foreign on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. external to one's own country or nation: a foreign country.

  2. carried on abroad, or with other countries: foreign trade.

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

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

  5. Law.

    • of or relating to law outside of local jurisdiction.

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

  6. belonging to or proceeding from other persons or things: a statement supported by foreign testimony.

  7. not belonging to the place or body where found: foreign matter in a chemical mixture.

  8. not related to or connected with the thing under consideration: foreign to our discussion.

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

  10. strange or unfamiliar.

Origin of foreign

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English forein, from Old French forain, forein, from unattested Vulgar Latin forānus, derivative of Latin forās “outside”

Other words for foreign

Other words from foreign

  • for·eign·ly, adverb
  • for·eign·ness, noun
  • non·for·eign, adjective
  • non·for·eign·ness, noun
  • pro·for·eign, adjective
  • quasi-foreign, adjective
  • un·for·eign, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for foreign

foreign

/ (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

  1. not pertinent or related: a matter foreign to the discussion

  2. not familiar; strange

  3. in an abnormal place or position: foreign matter; foreign bodies

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

Origin of foreign

1
C13: from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin forānus (unattested) situated on the outside, from Latin foris outside

Derived forms of foreign

  • foreignly, adverb
  • foreignness, noun

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