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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 Goodwin Living has 1,500 employees, 60% of them from foreign countries. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025 Washington — The Justice Department on Thursday filed foreign bribery charges against Smartmatic, the voting technology company that is suing Fox News and other prominent pro-Trump figures for defamation over their promotion of 2020 election lies. Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025 Eduardo Aguilar, who was living in Dallas, is charged with transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce a communication containing a threat, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 China’s foreign talent visa faces domestic backlash A Chinese effort to attract top foreign scientists has been met with a domestic backlash. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreign
Adjective
  • This included key initiatives such as attending overseas markets and conferences, acquiring new IP, and engaging a head of international outreach — all of which were fully approved and communicated with the BFI.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Also in Kharkiv region, closer to the international border, the Russians have claimed advances near the town of Vovchansk, including the capture of a nearby village.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Canvas Tote Bag Upgrade your standard tote bag with this canvas option that has external side pockets, a shoulder strap, and a removable carabiner.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Come prepared with ideas for reasonable accommodations, document all agreements, and seek external support resources to help manage work and treatment.
    Jamie Ducharme, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With its iconic captains, philosophical dilemmas and unforgettable alien encounters, the Trek universe is rich with lore, logic, and a whole lot of technobabble.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • By 1978, Jan began questioning the truth behind the alien story.
    Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Each was played a stream of speech that contained relevant comments and other irrelevant information, all spoken in a flat tone.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Its cable properties are increasingly irrelevant in the market, and networks like Logo, MTV and TV Land have been starved of new content for years.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 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
  • Past outages on this scale have been caused by a wide variety of errors, including faulty updates, the accidental injection of bad code, or a change to third-party software that doesn’t play nicely with a service.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • In the caption of her Instagram post, King revealed that the accidental encounter went better than some might think.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 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
  • Gray emphasized that true free play is not oriented around extrinsic goals, such as earning a high grade from a teacher or impressing a soccer coach.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Foreign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreign. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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