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foreign

adjective

  1. from another country
  2. not belonging
L5516 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈfɒɹɪn/ / /ˈfɒɹən/ / /ˈfɔɹɪn/

adj

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).

  1. Located outside a country or place, especially one's own.

    foreign markets; foreign soil

    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.

    foreign car; foreign word; foreign citizen; foreign trade

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

  3. Relating to a different nation.

    foreign policy; foreign navies

    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.

    foreign body; foreign substance; foreign gene; foreign species

  5. Alien; strange; uncharacteristic.

    It was completely foreign to their way of thinking.

    [T]his deſign is not ſo foreign from ſome Peoples Thoughts, […]

  6. Held at a distance; excluded; exiled.

    Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved him, / That he ran mad and died.

  7. From a different legal jurisdiction (state, province), even if within the same country.
  8. Belonging to a different organization, company etc.

    My bank charges me $2.50 every time I use a foreign ATM.

  9. Outside, outdoors, outdoor.

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).

  1. A foreign person

    The messaging instructions come in two sets: one for domestics, another for the foreigns.

  2. A foreign person
  3. A foreign person
  4. A foreign vehicle
  5. A foreign vehicle

    In the foreign switching lanes and we riding […] A island I wanna live somewhere silent I'm shining I'm bout to flood my neck with diamonds Yeah I've been spitting facts these niggas lying I'm driving stolens, foreigns, yeah I'm riding

  6. An outhouse; an outdoor toilet.

    Ful foule ys þat forreyne Þat ys comoun for al certeyne.

  7. A foreign area
  8. A foreign area
  9. Short for various phrases, including foreign language, foreign parts, and foreign service.