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 of afield

• 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

And over the years, some of my favorite lounge experiences have been farther afield, including Cathay Pacific’s lounges in Hong Kong and Emirates’ sprawling lounge setup in Dubai. — Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026

To answer these questions, a team of astronomers searched further afield, looking for faint satellite galaxies around three galaxies. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Debris that appeared to be from a Chinese ballistic missile found in Yemen pointed to the growing use of Beijing’s military hardware in conflicts far afield, which may raise worries in the US. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Tuscany has been home to clay pits revered for fine terra-cotta wine vessels used for production and storage since the time of the Etruscans, and many wineries still use local clay in addition to venturing further afield in Italy and Europe. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2026

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