abroad

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈbrȯd 

1

: beyond the boundaries of one's country : in or to a foreign country

traveling abroad

hopes to study abroad next year

both at home and abroad

a family that came here from abroad [=from a foreign country] several years ago

2

: over a wide area : widely

wolves venturing abroad in increasing numbers

3

old-fashioned : away from one's home

doesn't go walking abroad at night

4

formal : in wide circulation : about

There are rumors abroad that the company is in trouble.

5

: wide of the mark : astray

Examples of abroad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The experiment was carried out at the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility, a major platform designed to host scientists from China and abroad. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements in Europe following some sharper swings in Asia. —Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026

The government disallowed even elite white sportspeople from playing with Black sportspeople, which meant the white athletes could rarely compete abroad. —Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026

Gulf sovereign funds were established to invest surplus oil revenues abroad and promote economic diversification at home. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abrod, abrood, from a- a- entry 1 + brod, brood broad entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for abroad

• applaud
• backboard
• ballade
• defraud
• ephod
• facade
• guffawed
• outlawed
• ramrod
• roughshod
• slipshod
• tripod

Kids Definition

abroad

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈbrȯd 

1

: over a wide area

2

: away from one's home

doesn't go abroad at night

3

: in or to foreign countries

travel abroad

4

formal : in wide circulation

rumors were abroad