Foreigner

/ˈfɒrənər/

nounBeginner📊CommonPeople
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

A person who comes from a country other than their own; an alien.

/ˈfɒrənər/

nounneutralBeginner
People

A person from a country other than one's own.

Many foreigners visit this city every year.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're talking about someone who wasn't born in your country. That person is a foreigner! It's like saying they're from a different place.

👶 For kids: A foreigner is someone who comes from a different country than you.

More Examples

2

She felt like a foreigner in the new country.

3

The local community welcomed the foreigners with open arms.

How It's Used

General conversation

"She is a foreigner, having moved here from Italy."

Travel

"The hotel caters to many foreigners visiting the city."

Politics

"The government's policy towards foreigners has become stricter."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

From Middle English forein, from Old French forain (adj.) 'foreign, strange', from Latin forāneus 'outside, external', from foras 'outdoors'.

The word 'foreigner' has been used for centuries to describe individuals not belonging to the local community or nation. Its usage has evolved with changing concepts of national identity and global interaction.

Memory tip

Think of someone from a *foreign* country, hence a *foreigner*.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"outside, external"

foreign visitorforeign citizenforeign residentforeign language

Common misspellings

foriegnerforignerforeighner

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written