foreign
gb/fˈɔɹən/ us/fˈɔɹən/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
from another country
From or about another country, not your own.
Usage pattern:
[something] is foreign to [a country/person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'foreign' with 'strange'. While something foreign may be unfamiliar, it specifically means from another country.
Synonyms
overseas (Often used for goods, travel, or business involving countries across the sea; slightly more geographical in focus.)
|
international (Emphasizes involvement between multiple nations; broader in scope than 'foreign'.)
Antonyms
domestic (Refers to things from one's own country, opposite of 'foreign' in national origin.)
Collocations
foreign language
|foreign policy
|foreign country
|foreign visitor
|foreign market
Themes
geography
|culture
|travel
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She enjoys learning foreign languages.
- The company is expanding into foreign markets.
- Foreign visitors must show their passports at the border.
- He studied foreign policy at university.
- They import foreign goods to sell locally.
Learner examples
- I like foreign food.
- English is a foreign language in Japan.
- We met a foreign student at school.
- This car is from a foreign country.
adjective
B1
property
2
unfamiliar or strange
Not familiar; strange or new to you.
Usage pattern:
[something] is foreign to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'foreign' for anything unusual, but in this sense it often has a tone of being outside one's experience rather than just odd.
Synonyms
alien (Implies a stronger sense of strangeness or incompatibility.)
|
unfamiliar (Neutral term for something not known before.)
Antonyms
familiar (Well-known or easily recognized; opposite of foreign in this sense.)
Collocations
foreign concept
|foreign idea
|foreign custom
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The idea of working from home was foreign to him.
- This concept is completely foreign to our culture.
- Her behavior seemed foreign to her usual self.
Learner examples
- This food is foreign to me.
- The rules are foreign to new players.
- The feeling was foreign to him.
adjective
technical
B2
property
3
not belonging to the body/system
Not naturally part of something; coming from outside it.
Synonyms
external (From outside; broader in scope and not necessarily unwanted.)
Antonyms
native (Naturally occurring within the body/system.)
Collocations
foreign body
|foreign object
Themes
science
|medicine
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The doctor removed a foreign object from his eye.
- Foreign substances can trigger an immune response.
- Engineers found a foreign particle in the fuel line.
Learner examples
- The nurse took out a foreign object from my ear.
- A virus is a foreign thing in the body.
- Dust is a foreign substance in clean air.
Grammar
Dictionary form
foreign
IPA
GB/fˈɔɹən/
US/fˈɔɹən/
Syllables & stress
for - eign (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (for)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: foreign
Word family
Expressions
foreign affairs
1/fˈɔɹən əfˈɛɹz/
fixed phrase
international relations matters
Matters about how one country deals with other countries.
Examples
- She works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Foreign affairs have been tense between the two nations lately.
foreign body
1/fˈɔɹən bˈɑdi/
fixed phrase
technical
object in wrong place/system
Something that is inside a place where it should not be, often inside the body.
Examples
- The X-ray showed a foreign body in his stomach.
- A small stone acted as a foreign body in the machine.
foreign exchange
1/fˈɔɹən ɪkst͡ʃˈeɪnd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
currency trading between countries
The buying and selling of money from different countries.
Examples
- He works in the foreign exchange market.
- Foreign exchange rates can change daily.
foreign policy
1/fˈɔɹən pˈɑlɪsi/
fixed phrase
government's plan for other countries
A country's plan for how it will act toward other countries.
Examples
- The president announced changes to foreign policy.
- The president announced a change in foreign policy.
- Foreign policy decisions can affect the economy.
- Foreign policy decisions affect international trade.