1
as in international
being, relating to, or characteristic of a country other than one's own
more Americans should take an interest in foreign languages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in external
not being a vital part of or belonging to something
pediatricians often have to remove peas or other foreign bodies from inside the ears of curious toddlers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in multinational
relating to or involving two or more nations
foreign trade has always been vital to the region's economic health
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of foreign
This is an entirely foreign concept for me.
—
Tom Grimes, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
The biggest benefits appeared to come from reading, writing, visiting the library, and playing board games in midlife and later life, and learning a foreign language in childhood.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Declining foreign reserves have led to import restrictions that undermine energy supplies and the vital manufacturing industry.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Speaking at the high-profile Munich Security Conference, Macron said unregulated digital platforms allow harmful and manipulative narratives to go unchecked and warned that foreign interference poses a security risk in elections.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreign
Tom Grimes, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
The biggest benefits appeared to come from reading, writing, visiting the library, and playing board games in midlife and later life, and learning a foreign language in childhood.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Declining foreign reserves have led to import restrictions that undermine energy supplies and the vital manufacturing industry.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Speaking at the high-profile Munich Security Conference, Macron said unregulated digital platforms allow harmful and manipulative narratives to go unchecked and warned that foreign interference poses a security risk in elections.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreign
Adjective
-
Khelif did not compete in an international boxing tournament in the Netherlands last summer after failing to register in time before the applications closed.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The weeklong trip may be one of only a few international trips Vance makes this year.—
MICHELLE L. PRICE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
To reliably run all three external screens, a 45-W USB-C power adapter is recommended – this can also be from a 45-W+ power bank to make the setup truly mobile.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2026
-
My commitment has always been to administering justice in a manner that promotes accountability, respects victims, supports the integrity of our legal institutions, and reinforces public confidence that the courts are a stabilizing force — regardless of political climate or external pressure.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Super Bowl trailer confirms puppeteer James Ortiz is the voice behind Rocky, a spider-like alien creature whose galaxy’s sun is also dying from this same unknown substance.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The spot humorously centered on onboarding an alien monster, poking fun at HR challenges, and the promise of AI automation.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Szoboszlai’s opener will sit alongside Daniel Sturridge’s effort from the 2016 Europa League final against Sevilla in Basel in the vault of stunning Liverpool goals that were ultimately deemed irrelevant by the result.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In this landscape, organizations such as the CDC, which once stood as unimpeachable examples of government competence, have become victims of their own success, appearing to skeptics to be inert or irrelevant.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Groceries average about $300 per month, and while imported foods come at a premium, the ability to pick up Mediterranean staples adds an unexpected layer of excitement to island life.—
Dana Sauchelli,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2026
-
This marks a dramatic turnaround from earlier years when imported titles commanded roughly double the audience of domestic productions.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These pressures are not accidental.—
Steve Hershey,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Why This Moment Matters The timing of this shift isn’t accidental.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
5 July 2025
-
The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.—
Mark Greif,
Harper's Magazine,
26 July 2024
Adjective
-
Early longevity studies analyzed groups of people who were born in a time of widespread extrinsic mortality.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Although both are important in their own right, research from Personality and Individual Differences demonstrates that when people begin depending on extrinsic motivations like external feedback to gauge their success, their anxiety increases.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreign. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
