What does foreign mean?
Foreign describes whatever belongs to, originates in, or is characteristic of another country — foreign languages, foreign policy, foreign goods, and foreign visitors are all defined by their relationship to a homeland that lies elsewhere. But the word's reach extends beyond geography: it also denotes anything unfamiliar or out of place, so a doctor may remove a foreign object from a wound, and a shy person may find social gatherings foreign to her nature. This flexibility makes it one of the most useful adjectives in English, spanning diplomacy, commerce, medicine, law, and everyday conversation about what feels strange versus familiar. Its connotations depend heavily on context — neutral in phrases like 'foreign investment' and 'foreign correspondent', occasionally tinged with unease when describing the unfamiliar. Derived forms include the noun 'foreigner', meaning a person from another country, and 'foreignness', the quality of being external or strange.
adjectiveBelonging to, coming from, or characteristic of a country other than one's own. More broadly, strange, unfamiliar, or not belonging to a particular place, person, or thing.
- Located in, belonging to, or relating to a country other than one's own.
- Dealing with or involving other countries, especially in politics or trade (e.g. foreign policy).
- Strange, unfamiliar, or out of place; not belonging naturally to a person, situation, or environment.
"She speaks four foreign languages fluently."
"The embassy provides visa services for foreign nationals."
"The very idea of public speaking felt foreign to him at first."
Despite the famous spelling rule 'i before e except after c', 'foreign' breaks it — there's no 'c' in sight, and yet the 'e' comes first.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of foreign
Foreign entered English in the thirteenth century via Old French 'forain', meaning 'outside' or 'outer', which derived from the Latin 'foraneus', formed on the Latin word 'foras', meaning 'outside the doors'. The word therefore literally means 'that which lies outside', which explains how it came to describe both distant countries and anything external or unfamiliar. Its Romance lineage connects it to words such as 'forest', which shares the same Old French root, though it has no relation to the similar-sounding 'reign'.
Related word forms
How foreign is actually used
In legal, medical, and scientific contexts, 'foreign' often means simply 'not native to a given body or system' — for example, a 'foreign object' or 'foreign substance' — without any national implication. The sense of strangeness ('foreign to one's nature') is figurative but well established.
Easily confused with foreign
'Foriegn' is a common misspelling; the correct spelling is 'foreign', with the 'e' before the 'i'.