1
: situated outside a place or country
especially
: situated outside one's own country
foreign cities
2
: born in, belonging to, or characteristic of some place or country other than the one under consideration
has a large foreign population
foreign languages
3
: of, relating to, or proceeding from some other person or material thing than the one under consideration
foreign aid
4
: alien in character : not connected or pertinent
… this design is not foreign from some people's thoughts …—Jonathan Swift
5
: related to or dealing with other nations
foreign trade
6
a
: occurring in an abnormal situation in the living body and often introduced from outside
a foreign body lodged in the esophagus
b
: not recognized by the immune system as part of the self
foreign proteins
7
: not being within the jurisdiction of a political unit (such as a state)
foreign corporations
for·eign·ness
ˈfȯrə̇n(n)ə̇s
ˈfär-
plural -es
1
: the quality or state of being foreign
the foreignness of his background
2
: lack of relation or appropriateness : irrelevancy
the complete foreignness of such an approach weakened the force of his thesis
Cite this Entry
“Foreign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreign. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.
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