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

But the kitchen has been reconfigured around a Josper charcoal-and-wood oven, and the newer dishes draw from farther afield. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

The best hunters are those that, over many years afield, have committed to memory mental photographs of habitat that produced and those that did not. — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Farther afield is the rest of the center, which includes a museum, offices for the Obama Foundation, several basketball courts, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, and a playground. — Kate Wagner, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026

For those keen to venture further afield, Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano can all be reached in a little over an hour by car. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 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