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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 The influx of immigrants crossing our border under President Biden’s watch isn’t the first time the U.S. has hosted foreign nationals en masse. Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025 The most prevalent point of contention among foreign trade teams has been a lack of clarity on what their US counterparts envision for any final agreement. Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 9 July 2025 That potentially gives Beijing access to all kinds of consumer and personal data the U.S. government would really, really prefer a foreign superpower didn’t have. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025 The only current exception is children of foreign diplomats, a position the Supreme Court has previously upheld. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreign
Adjective
  • President Vladimir Putin, who spoke via videoconference, continues to mostly avoid traveling abroad due to an international arrest warrant issued after Russia invaded Ukraine.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
  • Advertisement There has been concern from international organizations about hundreds of Palestinians killed while collecting aid from distribution sites set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • Players can also continue to receive external payments from third-party NIL deals.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025
  • The company’s intelligence platform claims to unify internal and external data sources, allowing investment professionals to ask complex questions in natural language rather than spending time manually aggregating information.
    Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Alpha Gang follows a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 July 2025
  • Where the Drake equation depicts the bottlenecks that narrow probabilities of life for an entire galaxy, Dreck is adding back the extant uncounted alien rules, those whose burden’s origin is otherwise than the agency’s rulemaking process.
    Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Geography becomes irrelevant when AI handles the grunt work.
    Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
  • Each cancer journey is different, and others' stories can be irrelevant or trigger fears.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Officials are investigating the incident to determine whether or not the death was accidental or criminal.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 11 July 2025
  • The initial discovery of the toy’s mechanics was accidental.
    Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Lauren Heller Since Sagittarians are willing to try anything once, the Fire sign resembles Lauren's adventitious persona.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 31 Mar. 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
  • Is your motivation for doing well extrinsic or intrinsic?
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
  • It has been observed that extrinsic rewards can override intrinsic motivations over time.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Walking over said bridge is our lead, Jess (Meg Stalter), whose stylish star turn (zebra-stripe winter coat, star-laden vintage bookbag) is marred by her extraneous voiceover.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • The streaming economy, however, has stretched the narrative timeline, elongated the arc, padding out a predetermined number of episodes with extraneous digressions, giving minor characters things to do that don’t necessarily contribute to the story, while not developing into much on their own.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Foreign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreign. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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