foreign

/ˈfɔrən/

/ˈfɒrən/

Other forms: foreignly

If it has to do with other countries or their people, it is foreign, like a French movie receiving a British award for Best Foreign Film.

The adjective foreign is based on the Latin word foris, meaning “outside.” A foreign exchange student goes outside of his or her country to study. When you learn a foreign language, it is outside of the one you first learned. If you sleep late on the weekends, someone might say, "Getting up early on Saturdays is a foreign concept to you." This means it's outside of your experience and knowledge.

Definitions of foreign

1. adjective

   not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
   “jealousy is foreign to her nature”

   synonyms: alien

   extrinsic

   not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside
2. adjective

   not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source
   “foreign particles in milk”

   synonyms: extraneous

   adulterant, adulterating

   making impure or corrupt by adding extraneous materials
3. adjective

   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”

   synonyms: strange

   adventive

   not native and not fully established; locally or temporarily naturalized

   alien, exotic

   being or from or characteristic of another place or part of the world

   nonnative

   of plants or animals originating in a part of the world other than where they are growing

   established, naturalized

   introduced from another region and persisting without cultivation

   foreign-born, nonnative

   of persons born in another area or country than that lived in

   imported

   used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source

   tramontane

   being or coming from another country

   unnaturalised, unnaturalized

   not having acquired citizenship

   antonyms:

   native

   characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

   autochthonal, autochthonic, autochthonous, endemic, indigenous

   originating where it is found

   domestic

   produced in a particular country

   homegrown

   grown or originating in a particular place

   native-born

   belonging to a place by birth
4. adjective

   of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
   “foreign trade”

   “a foreign office”

   synonyms:

   abroad, overseas

   in a foreign country

   external, international, outside

   from or between other countries

   international

   concerning or belonging to all or at least two or more nations

   antonyms:

   domestic

   of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation

   home, interior, internal, national

   inside the country

   municipal

   of or relating to the government of a municipality

   national

   limited to or in the interests of a particular nation