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 village of Bellabeg is just a five-minute walk away, and slightly further afield are destinations like Braemar and Royal Deeside (where Balmoral Castle is located). —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2025

The opportunities and lifestyle are attracting professionals from far afield and convincing others, who once had to leave, to stay and build long-term careers here. —Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025

The toilet can also plug into a 12-V vehicle outlet or a 100- to 240-V AC outlet, giving users plenty of flexibility in powering it for different scenarios, whether inside a vehicle, at a cabin or farther afield. —New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025

Local versions of that show have been made as far afield as Germany, India and Spain, so Warner Bros. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 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