stranger

1 of 3

noun

strang·​er ˈstrān-jər 

1

: one who is strange: such as

a(1)

: foreigner

(2)

: a resident alien

b

: one in the house of another as a guest, visitor, or intruder

c

: a person or thing that is unknown or with whom one is unacquainted

d

: one who does not belong to or is kept from the activities of a group

e

: one not privy or party to an act, contract, or title : one that interferes without right

2

: one ignorant of or unacquainted with someone or something

stranger

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a stranger : foreign

stranger

3 of 3

verb

strangered; strangering; strangers

transitive verb

obsolete

: estrange, alienate

Synonyms

Noun

• foreigner
• alien

Examples of stranger in a Sentence

Noun

Children are taught not to talk to strangers.

He is a complete stranger to me.

“Excuse me. Do you know where the library is?” “I'm sorry. I'm a stranger here myself.”

I'm a stranger to the area.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The strangers spend the day wandering down the movie's eponymous street while a vibrant chemistry blossoms between them. —Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025

There are plenty of specific nuances that surround welcoming new neighbors and waving hello to strangers in public. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025

Adjective

But the situation grew stranger when the neighbor showed up again asking for more quarters. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival—the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying. —Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025

Verb

Bashan and 25 other people, all initially strangers with different backgrounds and professions, spent time in 12 different countries and grew to be friends. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 July 2025

People have been trained to seek validation from therapists, social media followers, even strangers online. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English straunger, straungier "foreigner, alien, unfamiliar person, outsider," borrowed from Anglo-French estranger, estraunger "outsider, foreigner, unfamiliar person" (as adjective) "not related by blood, foreign" (also continental Middle French estrangier), from estrange "foreign, strange entry 1" + -er, -ier -er entry 2

Adjective

from attributive use of stranger entry 1

Verb

derivative of stranger entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stranger

• no stranger to

Rhymes for stranger

• changer
• danger
• manger
• ranger
• arranger
• endanger
• exchanger

Kids Definition

stranger

noun

strang·​er

ˈstrān-jər

1

: one who is strange

2

a

: foreigner

b

: guest sense 1, visitor

c

: a person with whom or a thing with which one is unacquainted

Legal Definition

stranger

noun

strang·​er

: someone who is not a party or in privity with a party (as to a contract or legal action)

may be enforced against a stranger to the contract