abroad

adverb or adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025 Putin created the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives four years later, which finances exhibitions, festivals, and art that rehabilitate Moscow’s image both at home and abroad. Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025 This, at a time when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals abroad. Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025 Instead, the suspects resold them both in Spain and abroad, including in Morocco and Romania, turning what might seem like a small-scale prank into a lucrative criminal enterprise. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abroad

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of abroad was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abroad. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

abroad

adverb or adjective
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

More from Merriam-Webster on abroad

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