foreign
//ˈfɒɹɪn//
Forms
- Comparative
- more foreign
- Superlative
- most foreign
- Plural
- foreigns
Definitions
1.Located outside a country or place, especially one's own.
- He liked visiting foreign cities.
2.Originating from, characteristic of, belonging to, or being a citizen of a country or place other than the one under discussion.
- There are many more foreign students in Europe since the Erasmus scheme started.
- The cane was undoubtedly of foreign make, for it had a solid silver ferrule at one end, which was not English hall–marked.
3.Relating to a different nation.
- Plus, the Department of Justice has argued in the past that SGEs are subject to the emoluments clause, which means they cannot take payments from foreign governments.
4.Not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system.
- Are you interested in foreign languages?
- It takes years to master a foreign language.
- Tom speaks two foreign languages.
1.A foreign person(informal)
- The messaging instructions come in two sets: one for domestics, another for the foreigns.
2.A foreign vehicle(slang)
3.Short for various phrases, including foreign language, foreign parts, and foreign service.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #868
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English foreyn, forein, from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus (“outsider, outlander”), from Latin forās (“outside, outdoors”) or forīs (“outside, outdoors”).