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

At that pace, long waits are facing most of the roughly 20,000 sick and wounded people who Gaza’s Health Ministry has said need treatment abroad. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

For the bans on Proust and other international writers only applied to translations, allowing those with sufficient linguistic ability to consume scandalous masterpieces from abroad in their original form. —Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026

Sargent’s future is not necessarily bound to the window abroad, as the MLS winter window is open until March 26, so Toronto has plenty of time to sign and register the player if a deal can be struck. —Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026

At the State Department, the shutdown will not have a significant effect for the general public, in the United States or abroad. —Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 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