Foreign describes something or someone from another country, or something that seems strange or unfamiliar. It can refer to people, languages, customs, or objects.
“Foreign” comes from Old French “forain,” meaning “outside” or “strange,” from Latin “foris,” meaning “outside” or “door.” The idea is of something coming from beyond one’s own boundaries.
What counts as “foreign” depends entirely on where you stand—your language is native to you and foreign to someone else. The word quietly divides the world into “us” and “them,” even though everyone is someone else’s foreigner.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.