foreigner

noun

for·​eign·​er ˈfȯr-ə-nər 

ˈfär-

1

: a person belonging to or owing allegiance to a foreign country

2

chiefly dialectal : one not native to a place or community : stranger sense 1c

Synonyms of foreigner

• stranger

Examples of foreigner in a Sentence

I can tell by your accent you're a foreigner in these parts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even though Russian law states that only foreigners who know the language can become soldiers, none of the Africans interviewed by CNN were Russian speakers. —Larry Madowo, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026

While Israel has faced sharp criticism over its war in Gaza, start-up executives say foreigners are eager to buy systems developed and tested on the battlefield. —Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026

Since then, Democratic and Republican administrations have used the policy to provide temporary legal refuge to foreigners from countries facing armed conflict, an environmental disaster or another emergency that makes their return unsafe. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026

Denmark plans tougher deportation laws COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark unveiled a legal reform on Friday allowing foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes to be deported. —Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foreigner

• anti-foreigner

Rhymes for foreigner

• coroner

Kids Definition

foreigner

noun

for·​eign·​er ˈfȯr-ə-nər 

ˈfär-

: a person who is from a foreign country