foreign

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled furrin

US /ˈfɔɹɪn/ UK /ˈfɒɹɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #1893

Meanings

1

adj
Coming from or belonging to a country that is not your own.

She speaks three foreign languages.
2

adj
Relating to or dealing with other countries.

The government announced a new foreign policy.
3

adj
Strange or unfamiliar to someone.

The idea of giving up was completely foreign to her.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · strange or unfamiliar to... alien

More acquired additional adventitious ascititious extraneous international intrusive outlandish overseas strange supplementaltramontane

Opposites

domestic indigenous innate native natural

Word family

Forms foreigns

Derived forms antiforeignforeign-bornforeigncyforeignerforeigniseforeignismforeignizationforeignizeforeignlyforeignnessforexhyperforeign

Appears in

Phrases (5)

See all

foreign country
a country other than one's own

Adjective + noun
foreign aid
money, supplies, or other assistance given by one country to another

Adjective + noun
foreign legion
a military unit formed from volunteers who come from other countries

Adjective + noun
foreign minister
a government official responsible for relations with other countries

Adjective + noun
foreign visitor
a visitor who comes from another country

Adjective + noun

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”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ (“foreign”) and now-dialectal English fremd, from Old English fremde (“strange, foreign”). The silent -g- added perhaps by analogy with reign (compare also sovereign which was similarly altered).

foreyn Middle English forain Old French *forānus la-vul forās Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# foreign

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɔɹɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɒɹɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 1893

## Meanings
1. Coming from or belonging to a country that is not your own.
2. Relating to or dealing with other countries.
3. Strange or unfamiliar to someone.

## Examples
- She speaks three foreign languages.
- The government announced a new foreign policy.
- The idea of giving up was completely foreign to her.

## Synonyms
- acquired
- additional
- adventitious
- ascititious
- extraneous
- international
- intrusive
- outlandish
- overseas
- strange
- supplemental
- tramontane

## Antonyms
- domestic
- indigenous
- innate
- native
- natural

## Derived Forms
- antiforeign
- foreign-born
- foreigncy
- foreigner
- foreignise
- foreignism
- foreignization
- foreignize
- foreignly
- foreignness
- forex
- hyperforeign

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: foreyn
- Root: forain
- Root: *forānus
- Root: forās

## 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”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ (“foreign”) and now-dialectal English fremd, from Old English fremde (“strange, foreign”). The silent -g- added perhaps by analogy with reign (compare also sovereign which was similarly altered).

## AI Etymology
Foreign comes from Middle English foreyn, forein, from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus (“outsider, outlander”), from Latin forās (“outside, outdoors”) or forīs (“outside, outdoors”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ (“foreign”) and now-dialectal English fremd, from Old English fremde (“strange, foreign”). The silent -g- added perhaps by analogy with reign (compare also sovereign which was similarly altered). In current use, the main senses are “Coming from or belonging to a country that is not your own” and “Relating to or dealing with other countries”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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