# foreign

Pronunciation: say "FOR-in" US /ˈfɔɹɪn/, UK /ˈfɒɹɪn/; AUS say "FOR-uhn" /ˈfɔɹən/

## Adjective

1. Of, from, or located in a country other than one's own or the one being discussed.
   - Simple: From or in another country, not your own.
   - _The museum displayed foreign artifacts gathered from across three continents._
   - _Customs officials inspected the foreign goods before allowing them through._
2. Concerning or relating to a nation other than one's own.
   - Simple: Having to do with a nation that is not your own.
   - _Debate over foreign policy dominated the election campaign._
   - _Before the vote, the committee heard from several experts on foreign affairs._
3. Strange or alien; out of keeping with someone's character or nature.
   - Simple: Strange or unfamiliar to someone, or not like their usual character or nature.
   - _The idea of giving up was foreign to everything he believed._
   - _A sudden calm, foreign to her restless temperament, settled over her._
4. Not naturally part of or taken in by an organism or system.
   - Simple: Not naturally part of the body or system it is in.
   - _The immune system attacks cells it identifies as foreign._
   - _A foreign particle had lodged deep inside the engine's valve._
5. From a different legal jurisdiction, such as another state or province, even within the same country. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Coming from a different state or area, even within the same country.
   - _Banks must check whether a foreign judgment is enforceable in this state._
   - _A company chartered in Delaware counts as foreign in California courts._
6. Belonging to a different organization, company, or group.
   - Simple: Belonging to a different company or group.
   - _Withdrawing cash from a foreign ATM, one run by another bank, usually costs an extra fee._
   - _Customers who use a foreign ATM, meaning one run by another bank, are often charged by both banks._

## Noun

7. A person from another country; a foreigner. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A person who comes from a country that is not your own.
8. A car produced abroad; an imported vehicle. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A car that was made in another country.
   - _He dropped serious money on a sleek foreign last summer._
   - _The whole block was lined with foreigns, mostly German sedans with tinted windows._

## Noun

9. An outsider; a person from another place or a different group. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A person who comes from another place or group.
12. A ship belonging to or coming from another country. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A ship that comes from or belongs to another country.
13. An outhouse; an outdoor toilet set apart from the dwelling. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An outdoor toilet, built away from the main house.
14. A tradesperson who is not a member of the trade guild. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A worker who does not belong to the guild.

## Adjective

10. Held at a distance; excluded or sent into exile. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Kept away from other people, or shut out and sent away.
11. Situated outside or in the open air; outdoor. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Out of doors, away from the inside of a building.

## Other meanings

- (noun) An area lying outside the legal limits of a town or parish.

## Origin

From Middle English foreyn, from Old French forain, from Vulgar Latin *forānus ("outsider"), which comes from Latin forās or forīs ("outside, outdoors"). It replaced the native Old English elþēodiġ, and the silent -g- was added perhaps by analogy with "reign" (as also happened with "sovereign").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/foreign (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).