What does foreign mean?

Definitions for foreign
ˈfɔr ɪn, ˈfɒr-for·eign

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word foreign.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. foreignadjective

    of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)

    "foreign trade"; "a foreign office"

  2. foreign, strangeadjective

    relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world

    "foreign nations"; "a foreign accent"; "on business in a foreign city"

  3. alien, foreignadjective

    not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something

    "an economic theory alien to the spirit of capitalism"; "the mysticism so foreign to the French mind and temper"; "jealousy is foreign to her nature"

  4. extraneous, foreignadjective

    not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source

    "water free of extraneous matter"; "foreign particles in milk"

Wiktionary

  1. foreignnoun

    foreigner

  2. foreignadjective

    From a different country.

    There are many more foreign students in Europe since the Erasmus scheme started.

  3. foreignadjective

    belonging to a different culture.

    Eating with chopsticks was a foreign concept to him.

  4. foreignadjective

    Of an object, etc, in a place where it does not belong.

    foreign body

  5. foreignadjective

    From a different one of the states of the United States, as of a state of residence or incorporation.

  6. Etymology: forein, from forain, from Vulgar Latin *, from foras, also spelled foris. Displaced native ellendish (from elelendisc, compare ellende, elland), eltheodish (from elþeodig, elþeodisc), and non-native peregrin (from peregrin).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. FOREIGNadjective

    Etymology: forain, French; forano, Spanish, from foris, Latin.

    Your son, that with a fearful soul
    Leads discontented steps in foreign soil,
    This fair alliance quickly shall call home. William Shakespeare, Rich. III.

    The learned correspondence you hold in foreign parts. John Milton.

    The positions are so far from being new, that they are commonly to be met with in both ancient and modern, domestick and foreign writers. Francis Atterbury, Serm. Pref.

    The parties and divisions amongst us may several ways bring destruction upon our country, at the same time that our united force would secure us against all the attempts of a foreign enemy. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 34.

    I must dissemble,
    And speak a language foreign to my heart. Joseph Addison, Cato.

    Fame is a good so wholly foreign to our natures, that we have no faculty in the soul adapted to it, nor any organ in the body to relish it, placed out of the possibility of fruition. Addis.

    This design is not foreign from some people’s thoughts. Jonathan Swift, on the Sacramental Test.

    They will not stick to say you envied him;
    And fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous,
    Kept him a foreign man still; which so griev’d him,
    That he ran mad and died. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

    There are who, fondly studious of increase,
    Rich foreign mold in their ill-natur’d land
    Induce. Phillips.

Wikipedia

  1. Foreign

    Foreign is a song by American singer Trey Songz, released on May 13, 2014. The song serves as the third single from his sixth studio album, Trigga which was released on July 1, 2014. American record producers Soundz and "The Insomniaks" co-produced the track.

ChatGPT

  1. foreign

    Foreign refers to something or someone that originates from, is characteristic of, or is connected to a country or culture other than one's own. It can also refer to something unfamiliar or unknown. It can be used to describe people, objects, situations, or ideas.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Foreignadjective

    outside; extraneous; separated; alien; as, a foreign country; a foreign government

  2. Foreignadjective

    not native or belonging to a certain country; born in or belonging to another country, nation, sovereignty, or locality; as, a foreign language; foreign fruits

  3. Foreignadjective

    remote; distant; strange; not belonging; not connected; not pertaining or pertient; not appropriate; not harmonious; not agreeable; not congenial; -- with to or from; as, foreign to the purpose; foreign to one's nature

  4. Foreignadjective

    held at a distance; excluded; exiled

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Foreign

    for′in, adj. belonging to another country: from abroad: alien: not belonging to, unconnected: not appropriate.—adj. For′eign-built, built in a foreign country.—ns. For′eigner, a native of another country; For′eignness, the quality of being foreign: want of relation to something: remoteness. [O. Fr. forain—Low L. foraneus—L. foras, out of doors.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. foreign

    Of another country or society; a word used adjectively, being joined with divers substantives in several senses.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. foreign

    Not of one’s country; not native; alien; from abroad.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'foreign' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #559

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'foreign' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2280

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'foreign' in Adjectives Frequency: #67

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce foreign?

How to say foreign in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of foreign in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of foreign in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of foreign in a Sentence

  1. Marise Payne:

    The government would be particularly concerned if any foreign diplomatic mission were to act in ways that could undermine such rights, including by encouraging disruptive or potentially violent behavior.

  2. Foreign Minister Hector Timerman:

    The companies can defend themselves in foreign courts, but that will have a cost or penalty to their market listing.

  3. Tevi Troy:

    The RJC is an excellent and skilled organization at bundling dollars in favor of preferred candidates, this is going to be a chance for candidates to talk candidly in real terms about foreign policy after Paris, in the context of Syria, and I think as a whole Republican candidates are going to be able to contrast their understanding of threats facing the country in contrast to the last seven years.

  4. Oleksander Moiseyenko:

    The world should know about our country and know that, despite the war, life goes on and that the entertainment of soccer is not foreign to us.

  5. Matt Taibbi:

    Congressman, why is a 'Foreign Influence' task force sending Excel spreadsheets full of joke tweets from low-follower accounts in Maryland, Kentucky, and Ohio? Why does the FITF spend so much time reviewing domestic speech?

Popularity rank by frequency of use

foreign#1#1188#10000

Translations for foreign

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"foreign." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/foreign>.

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