Foreign Definition & Meaning

foreign
adjective
  1. of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own); "foreign trade"; "a foreign office"
  2. 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. 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. not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source; "water free of extraneous matter"; "foreign particles in milk"

Synonyms for foreign

abroad adv

to or in a foreign country; "they had never travelled abroad" far away from home or one's usual surroundings

♫ Rhymes
adulterant adj

making impure or corrupt by adding extraneous materials

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adulterating adj

making impure or corrupt by adding extraneous materials; "the adulterating effect of extraneous materials"

♫ Rhymes
adventive adj

not native and not fully established; locally or temporarily naturalized; "an adventive weed"

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alien adj

not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
established adj

brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established; "the established social order

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
exotic adj

being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "alien customs"; "exotic plants in a greenhouse

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external adj

happening or arising or located outside or beyond some limits or especially surface; "the external auditory canal

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
extraneous adj

not pertinent to the matter under consideration; "an issue extraneous to the debate"; "the price was immaterial

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
extrinsic adj

not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside; "extrinsic evidence

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"Foreign" in song lyrics

See how foreign is used in real songs:

  • "Home may be home to you but to me it's foreign"
    Aceyalone — The Balance
  • "Eleven in the mornin, I jumped up in my foreign"
    Big Pokey (Screwed Up Click) — Who Dat Talkin Down
  • "Elect Vietnam, Bombing a foreign"
    Leathafase — Staten Island Get Da Money

Words that rhyme with foreign

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Usage tips for "foreign"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "foreign" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for foreign to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with foreign ↔ Synonyms for foreign 🔬 Words containing foreign

Frequently asked questions

What does foreign mean?
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own); "foreign trade"; "a foreign office" 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" 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
What part of speech is foreign?
Foreign is an adjective.
How many definitions does foreign have?
Foreign has 4 definitions across 1 part of speech (adjective).

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