overseas

/ˌˈoʊvərˌsiz/

/əʊvəˈsiz/

There's no trick to the meaning of overseas. If someone goes overseas, they've gone "over" the "seas" — to a foreign country.

When overseas came into use, there were no airplanes, so technically speaking, one traveled "across" or "on" the seas, in a ship. Nevertheless, one was thought to have made it "over the sea," hence overseas. When traveling overseas, make sure your phone works on the network in the country where you're headed. Also, the laws and customs overseas can be very different from the ones we have here, so be careful. What here at home you consider small potatoes legally might be a big deal overseas.

Definitions of overseas

1. adverb

   beyond or across the sea
   “He lived overseas for many years”

   synonyms: oversea
2. adverb

   in a place across an ocean
   synonyms: abroad
3. adjective

   in a foreign country
   “overseas markets”

   synonyms: abroad

   foreign

   of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
4. adjective

   being or passing over or across the sea
   “some overseas trade in grain arose”

   synonyms: oversea

   marine

   relating to or characteristic of or occurring on or in the sea