afield

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈfēld How to pronounce afield (audio)
Synonyms of afieldnext
1
: to, in, or on the field
was weak at bat but strong afield
2
: away from home : abroad
3
: out of the way : astray
irrelevant remarks that carried us far afield

Synonyms of afield

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of afield in a Sentence

how did we get so far afield from the subject we intended to discuss?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Farther afield is the eight-bedroom Costilla Fishing Lodge in the high country and the two-bedroom Bernal Lake Cabin on its eponymous lake. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 Beyond the conventional routes lie some of the world’s most striking volcanic highlands, black-sand beaches, and untamed wilderness—landscapes that reward those willing to venture farther afield. — Gwen Nicol, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026 Here, the outdoor dining area sits next to a small infinity pool, and a separate hot tub is found a bit farther afield. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026 Expanding the geographic scope of the war Tehran could also target locations farther afield with its missiles. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afield

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afelde, going back to Old English on felda, on felde, from on on entry 1 + felda, felde, dative of feld field entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afield was before the 12th century

Rhymes for afield

See All Rhymes for afield

Browse Nearby Words

aficionado
afield
a fight for one's life
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Afield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afield. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

afield

adverb
ə-ˈfēld How to pronounce afield (audio)
1
: to, in, or on the field
2
: away from home
3
: out of a regular, planned, or proper course : astray
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All