Something or someone that is foreign comes from or relates to a country that is not your own.
...a huge attraction for foreign visitors.
She was on her first foreign holiday without her parents.
...a foreign language.
It is the largest ever private foreign investment in the Bolivian mining sector.
Synonyms: alien, overseas, exotic, unknown More Synonyms of foreign
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
In politics and journalism, foreign is used to describe people, jobs, and activities relating to countries that are not the country of the person or governmentconcerned.
...the German foreign minister.
I am the foreign correspondent in Washington of La Tribuna newspaper of Honduras.
...the effects of U.S. foreign policy in the 'free world'.
3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A foreign object is something that has got into something else, usually by accident, and should not be there.
[formal]
The patient's immune system would reject the transplanted organ as a foreign object.
Synonyms: unassimilable, external, extraneous, outside More Synonyms of foreign
4. adjective
Something that is foreignto a particular person or thing is not typical of them or is unknown to them.
The very notion of price competition is foreign to many schools. [+ to]
The whole thing is foreign to us.
Synonyms: unfamiliar, strange, unknown, alien More Synonyms of foreign
More Synonyms of foreign
foreign in British English
(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
Derived forms
foreignly (ˈforeignly)
adverb
foreignness (ˈforeignness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin forānus (unattested) situated on the outside, from Latin foris outside
foreign in American English
(ˈfɔrɪn; ˈfɑrɪn)
adjective
1.
situated outside one's own country, province, locality, etc.
foreign lands
2.
of, from, or characteristic of another country or countries
foreign languages
3.
having to do with the relations of one country to another country or countries
foreign affairs, foreign trade
see also domestic
4.
not subject to the laws or jurisdiction of the specified country
5.
a.
not natural to the person or thing specified; not belonging; not characteristic
a trait foreign to one's nature
b.
not pertinent; irrelevant
6.
not organically belonging; introduced from outside
said of substances found in parts of the body or in organisms where they do not naturallyoccur
SIMILAR WORDS: exˈtrinsic
Derived forms
foreignness (ˈforeignness)
noun
Word origin
ME forein < OFr forein, forain < LL foranus, foreign, orig., external < L foras, out-of-doors, orig. acc. pl. of OL fora, door
Examples of 'foreign' in a sentence
foreign
Not including country codes on foreign income pages?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This is the critical connection in understanding the foreign policy of the left.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Top of the list of concerns is the impact on foreign investment.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Winner of the Oscar for best foreign language film.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is something foreign managers don't always do and they need reminding we do.
The Sun (2016)
The film went on to win a best foreign language Oscar.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I wonder how many foreign workers have one.
The Sun (2016)
My new, new foreign minister says he doesn't think this is going to work.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Belgium: Nato meeting of foreign ministers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But yesterday the foreign secretary limited his opposition to one short interview in which he said that it was'not the right thing to do'.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Learning any foreign language is a formidable intellectual exercise and valuable training for any young mind.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It was fantastic to be in a foreign country.
The Sun (2012)
There is something great about foreign sweets.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
London was more to some of these people than just another foreign city.
James Fergusson KANDAHAR COCKNEY: A Tale of Two Worlds (2004)
His party duties brought him into contact with many foreign leaders.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This is bad foreign policy and bad politics.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Those who crave foreign investment should be careful what they wish for.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Some of the key foreign ministers have cleared a space in their diaries for tomorrow afternoon.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Instead it preferred to pay for interpreters and foreign language translation.
The Sun (2013)
The whole dancing thing is completely foreign to me.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The fact that he himself came of foreign origin is something that he repressed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Foreign exchange is another area it could target.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Our foreign aid policy is a farce.
The Sun (2013)
These two transaction costs discourage foreign investment and borrowing.
Maurice D. Levi International Finance: The markets and financial management of multinational business. (1983)
Another expensive foreign appointment because we could not produce our own coaches of sufficient calibre.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Foreign policy exists on a spectrum from idealism at one end to realism at the other.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is just one victim of our contempt for languages and our increasing suspicion of all things foreign.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The film won an Oscar for best foreign language film.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What you really don't want is something foreign.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He was a member of many British and foreign academies and learned societies.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Historians have a favorite saying: 'The past is like a foreign country.
Christianity Today (2000)
The ministry said: 'The exchanging of gifts when government ministers meet their foreign counterparts is recognised internationally as standard practice.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
foreign
British English: foreign /ˈfɒrɪn/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is foreign comes from or relates to a country that is not your own.
She was on her first foreign holiday.
American English: foreign
Arabic: أَجْنَبِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: estrangeiro
Chinese: 外国的
Croatian: stran
Czech: cizí zahraniční
Danish: fremmed
Dutch: buitenlands
European Spanish: extranjero
Finnish: ulkomaalainen
French: étranger d’un autre pays
German: fremd
Greek: ξένος
Italian: straniero
Japanese: 外国の
Korean: 외국의
Norwegian: fremmed
Polish: zagraniczny
European Portuguese: estrangeiro
Romanian: străin
Russian: иностранный
Latin American Spanish: extranjero
Swedish: utländsk
Thai: เกี่ยวกับต่างประเทศ
Turkish: yabancı
Ukrainian: іноземний
Vietnamese: nước ngoài
All related terms of 'foreign'
foreign aid
economic and other assistance given by one country to another
foreign agent
a spy for a foreign country
foreign bank
A bank is an institution where people or businesses can keep their money.
foreign bill
a bill of exchange that is drawn in one country and made payable in another: used extensively in foreign trade
foreign body
A foreign body is an object that has come into something else, usually by accident , and should not be in it.
foreign-born
born in a foreign country; not born in one's resident country
foreign buyer
A buyer is a person who is buying something or who intends to buy it.
foreign land
You can use land to refer to a country in a poetic or emotional way.
foreign-owned
owned by an individual who is resident in a different country or by a company whose headquarters are in a different country
foreign trade
Trade is the activity of buying , selling, or exchanging goods or services between people, firms , or countries.
foreign affairs
matters abroad that involve the homeland , such as relations with another country
foreign legion
a body of foreign volunteers serving in an army , esp that of France
foreign mission
a body of persons sent to a non-Christian country in order to propagate Christianity
Foreign Office
The Foreign Office is the government department, especially in Britain , which has responsibility for the government's dealings and relations with foreign governments.
foreign player
A player in a sport or game is a person who takes part, either as a job or for fun .
foreign policy
the policies of a government regarding relations with other countries
foreign service
The foreign service is the government department that employs diplomats to work in foreign countries.
foreign student
A student is a person who is studying at a university or college .
foreign troops
Troops are soldiers , especially when they are in a large organized group doing a particular task .
foreign visitor
A visitor is someone who is visiting a person or place.
foreign currency
the currency used in other countries (and not in your own)
foreign exchange
Foreign exchanges are the institutions or systems involved with changing one currency into another.
foreign investment
investment from foreign countries
foreign minister
a cabinet minister who is responsible for a country's dealings with other countries
foreign national
a person residing in a country without the right to permanent residence in that country
foreign relations
relationships , negotiations and dealings between countries
foreign competition
Competition is an activity involving two or more firms , in which each firm tries to get people to buy its own goods in preference to the other firms' goods.
foreign correspondent
a reporter who visits or resides in a foreign country in order to report on its affairs
the foreign-born
immigrants of a country
foreign exchange rate
the rate that specifies how much the currency of a nation is worth in terms of the currency of another nation
French Foreign Legion
a unit of the French Army formerly serving esp in French North African colonies . It is largely recruited from foreigners , with French senior officers
foreign currency income
the income earned by a country from foreign currency
foreign exchange market
the market for the international buying , selling and trading of currencies
shadow Foreign Secretary
the member of the main opposition party in Parliament who would hold the office of Foreign Secretary if their party were in power
Veterans of Foreign Wars
an organization of U.S. veterans who have served in foreign wars: founded in 1899
English as a Foreign Language
the practice and theory of learning and teaching English for use in countries where it is not an official medium
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
the department of British government which promotes the United Kingdom's interests abroad
foreign bill (of exchange)
a bill of exchange drawn in one state or country and payable in another, as one arising from foreign trade operations
mission
A mission is an important task that people are given to do, especially one that involves travelling to another country.
Chinese translation of 'foreign'
foreign
(ˈfɔrɪn)
adj
[country, holiday, language]外国(國)的 (wàiguó de)
[trade, policy]对(對)外的 (duìwài de)
foreign to对(對) ... 陌生 (duì ... mòshēng)
All related terms of 'foreign'
foreign to
对(對) ... 陌生 duì ... mòshēng
Foreign Office
▶ the Foreign Office 外交部 Wàijiāobù
foreign currency
外币(幣) wàibì
foreign exchange
[ c ] ( system ) 国(國)际(際)汇(匯)兑(兌) guójì huìduì
Foreign Secretary
外交部长(長) wàijiāo bùzhǎng
the Foreign Office
外交部 Wàijiāobù
foreign/literary editor
外文/文学(學)编(編)辑(輯) wàiwén/wénxué biānjí
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language 托福 Tuōfú
1 (adjective)
Definition
of, located in, or coming from another country, area, or people
a foreign language
Synonyms
alien
overseas
exotic
his striking and exotic appearance
unknown
outside
strange
imported
borrowed
remote
subjects that seem remote from their daily lives
distant
external
unfamiliar
far off
outlandish
This idea is not as outlandish as it seems.
beyond your ken
Opposites
domestic
,
familiar
,
native
,
well-known
,
customary
2 (adjective)
Definition
in an abnormal place or position
Her body rejected the transplanted organ as a foreign object.
Synonyms
unassimilable
external
the commissioner for external affairs
extraneous
extraneous influences affecting his state of mind
outside
Cracks are beginning to appear on the outside wall.
3 (adjective)
He fell into a gloomy mood that was usually so foreign to him.
Synonyms
uncharacteristic
inappropriate
That remark was inappropriate for such a serious issue.
unrelated
Two other detectives have been suspended in an unrelated matter.
incongruous
She looked incongruous in an army uniform.
inapposite
irrelevant
irrelevant details
4 (adjective)
Definition
not familiar
The whole thing is foreign to us.
Synonyms
unfamiliar
She grew many plants that were unfamiliar to me.
strange
I ended up alone in a strange city.
unknown
a perilous expedition, through unknown terrain
alien
His work offers an insight into an alien culture.
undiscovered
uncharted
a largely uncharted area of medical science
unexplored
unplumbed
Additional synonyms
in the sense of exotic
Definition
having a strange allure or beauty
his striking and exotic appearance
Synonyms
unusual,
different,
striking,
strange,
extraordinary,
bizarre,
fascinating,
curious,
mysterious,
colourful,
glamorous,
peculiar,
unfamiliar,
outlandish
in the sense of external
Definition
of or involving foreign nations
the commissioner for external affairs
Synonyms
foreign,
international,
alien,
exotic,
exterior,
extraneous,
extrinsic
in the sense of extraneous
extraneous influences affecting his state of mind
Synonyms
external,
foreign,
strange,
alien,
exotic,
out of place,
extrinsic,
adventitious
Synonyms of 'foreign'
foreign
Explore 'foreign' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of unrelated
Two other detectives have been suspended in an unrelated matter.