foreign

adjective for·eign \ ˈfȯr-ən , ˈfär- \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of foreign

1 : situated outside a place or country; especially : situated outside one's own country

foreign cities

2 : born in, belonging to, or characteristic of some place or country other than the one under consideration

has a large foreign population

foreign languages

3 : of, relating to, or proceeding from some other person or material thing than the one under consideration

foreign aid

4 : alien in character : not connected or pertinent

this design is not foreign from some people's thoughts
—Jonathan Swift

5 : related to or dealing with other nations

foreign trade

6 a : occurring in an abnormal situation in the living body and often introduced from outside

a foreign body lodged in the esophagus

b : not recognized by the immune system as part of the self

foreign proteins

7 : not being within the jurisdiction of a political unit (such as a state)

foreign corporations

—

foreignness

play \ˈfȯr-ən-nəs, ˈfär-\ noun

See foreign defined for English-language learners

See foreign defined for kids

Examples of foreign in a Sentence

They've visited several foreign countries.
We don't get many foreign visitors.
Have you studied any foreign languages?
She has a foreign accent.
the ministry of foreign affairs

Recent Examples of foreign from the Web

Pricier parts could make American manufacturers less competitive than foreign rivals.

— The Economist, "A trade war between America and China takes shape," 7 Apr. 2018
Murtaja, 30, was the co-founder of Ain media, a local TV production company that has done projects, including aerial drone video, for foreign media clients such as BBC and Al Jazeera English .

— fares akram, chicagotribune.com, "Gaza buries journalist killed by gunfire while covering mass protests," 7 Apr. 2018
American flags, foreign flags, club flags, banners of sports teams, all sell well.

— carl nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, "Flagpole firm withstands winds of change," 7 Apr. 2018
Like his predecessor, Barack Obama, Trump is struggling to square his desires to quickly get out of foreign entanglements with the reality on the battlefield.

— Bloomberg.com, "Trump Finds Himself Trapped Again by a War He Campaigned Against," 6 Apr. 2018
Firefighters found no foreign substance, said Deputy Fire Chief James Dean.

— glenn e. rice and tony rizzo, kansascity, "Downtown workers report trouble breathing, but no hazardous substance found | The Kansas City Star," 6 Apr. 2018
One of the largest consular representations in the United States, the Miami corps includes diplomats and representatives of foreign governments.

— jacqueline charles, miamiherald, "Barbados’ top government official in Miami dies | Miami Herald," 6 Apr. 2018
State and federal labor laws do not extend to Huynh and the roughly 700 other foreign workers like him in Hawaii.

— CBS News, "Deck hand saved lives as fishing boat sank; captain's role under investigation," 6 Apr. 2018
California’s merchandise export trade continued its strong start to 2018 in February, with Golden State businesses shipping merchandise valued at $14.62 billion to foreign nations.

— mark glover, sacbee, "Calm before the trade storm? State exports surge in February | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foreign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of foreign

Middle English forein, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin foranus on the outside, from Latin foris outside — more at forum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

foreign Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of foreign

extrinsic, extraneous, foreign, alien mean external to a thing, its essential nature, or its original character. extrinsic applies to what is distinctly outside the thing in question or is not contained in or derived from its essential nature.

- sentimental value that is extrinsic to the house's market value

extraneous applies to what is on or comes from the outside and may or may not be capable of becoming an essential part.

- arguments extraneous to the issue

foreign applies to what is so different as to be rejected or repelled or to be incapable of becoming assimilated.

- techniques foreign to French cuisine

alien is stronger than foreign in suggesting opposition, repugnance, or irreconcilability.

- a practice totally alien to her nature

FOREIGN Defined for English Language Learners

foreign

adjective

Definition of foreign for English Language Learners

: located outside a particular place or country and especially outside your own country
: coming from or belonging to a different place or country
: relating to or dealing with other nations

FOREIGN Defined for Kids

foreign

adjective for·eign \ ˈfȯr-ən \

Definition of foreign for Students

1 : located outside of a place or country and especially outside of a person's own country

a foreign nation

2 : belonging to a place or country other than the one under consideration

Do you speak a foreign language?

3 : relating to or having to do with other nations

foreign trade

4 : not normally belonging or wanted where found

foreign material in food

Medical Dictionary

foreign

adjective for·eign \ ˈfȯr-ən, ˈfär- \

medical Definition of foreign

1 : occurring in an abnormal situation in the living body and often introduced from outside

a foreign body lodged in the esophagus

2 : not recognized by the immune system as part of the self

foreign proteins

Law Dictionary

foreign

adjective for·eign

legal Definition of foreign

: not being within the jurisdiction of a political unit (as a state); especially : being from or in a state other than the one in which a matter is being considered