afield

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈfēld 

1

: to, in, or on the field

was weak at bat but strong afield

2

: away from home : abroad

3

: out of the way : astray

irrelevant remarks that carried us far afield

Synonyms

• wrong
• astray
• awry

Examples of afield in a Sentence

how did we get so far afield from the subject we intended to discuss?

Recent Examples on the Web

The team is already exploring opportunities further afield. —Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025

Roman said that while Russia still has its interests in the Middle East, there is a new phase in its engagement in the region with Moscow selling arms to Egypt and stepping up its activities in Libya and further afield in North Africa. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

Next to the main house is the two-bedroom caretaker’s home, and another two guest houses sit a bit farther afield. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 June 2025

The Trump Administration has already sent migrants from a number of countries to Panama and Costa Rica, and has reportedly sought deportation arrangements with countries farther afield, including Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Benin, Eswatini, Mongolia, Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afelde, going back to Old English on felda, on felde, from on on entry 1 + felda, felde, dative of feld field entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for afield

• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• brownfield
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed
• cornfield
• downfield
• goldfield
• hayfield
• infield

Kids Definition

afield

adverb

ə-ˈfēld 

1

: to, in, or on the field

2

: away from home

3

: out of a regular, planned, or proper course : astray