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

While the trend is most associated with Europe, market hacking can also be worthwhile farther afield. —Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2025

Officials are working to transition the navy from a green-water force focused on coastal defense to one capable of projecting power farther afield. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

Cars converged from all directions, carrying people from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Erie, Toledo, and farther afield. —Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025

Couple Anthony Ha and Sadie-Mae Burns first drew fans for their creative Vietnamese French cooking through pop-ups at buzzy restaurants as far afield as Paris. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 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