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as in multinational
relating to or involving two or more nations foreign trade has always been vital to the region's economic health

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foreign different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of foreign are alien, extraneous, and extrinsic. While all these words mean "external to a thing, its essential nature, or its original character," 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

How do alien and foreign relate to one another?

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

a practice totally alien to her nature

When is extraneous a more appropriate choice than foreign?

The words extraneous and foreign are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When might extrinsic be a better fit than foreign?

In some situations, the words extrinsic and foreign are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of foreign Baz’s intelligence also stretches to the sense that Knight will go back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before he was recruited by MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence agency, and chart how Bond attained 007 status. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025 The video for the song features HARDY singing while lying in a casket in the ground— imagery that isn’t entirely foreign to him. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025 Malta’s food, drink, art, and architecture have been influenced by centuries of foreign rulers, among them Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, French, and British. Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025 The Kremlin has repeatedly denied interfering in foreign elections. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreign
Adjective
  • The result will likely net wider international arthouse exposure than Desplechin’s last few efforts.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
  • This portable luggage scale has saved me more than once, especially with the stricter international airlines.
    Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The company said its decision were not influenced by government agencies or external individuals.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Each unit is expected to cost around USD 35,000, uses 850-1,000 watts (W) of energy, and doesn’t require an external computer to operate.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The titular robotic dinosaurs are machines piloted by humans who, in the new series, must defend Earth from a monstrous alien invasion trying to resurrect its prehistoric army.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
  • In this conversation with astronomer Adam Frank, Kipping discusses how the search for alien life has evolved from a taboo topic to a credible one, driven by new funding and growing academic interest.
    Adam Frank, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There is this constant projection from bad-faith actors, who find the truth irrelevant to their desires to rhetorically position the work that artists are doing—and even reality itself.
    Helen Molesworth, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • My teaching skills were basically irrelevant.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This marks a dramatic turnaround from earlier years when imported titles commanded roughly double the audience of domestic productions.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The Power of Good Love Since the accidental confession, the couple has moved in together and their relationship has flourished.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • However, Ledger tragically died of an accidental overdose before the film's release.
    Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
  • The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
    Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
Adjective
  • Those new to options trading should understand basic terms (e.g., premiums, extrinsic and intrinsic value, moneyness) and know the Greeks (measurements of an option’s sensitivity to various factors).
    Michael Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Is your motivation for doing well extrinsic or intrinsic?
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Foreign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreign. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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