stranger

American  

[streyn-jer] / ˈstreɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance.

   He is a perfect stranger to me.

   Antonyms:

   acquaintance

2. a newcomer in a place or locality.

   a stranger in town.

3. an outsider.

   They want no strangers in on the club meetings.

4. a person who is unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something (usually followed byto ).

   He is no stranger to poverty.

5. a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest.

   Our town shows hospitality to strangers.

6. Law.  one not privy or party to an act, proceeding, etc.

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stranger British  

/ ˈstreɪndʒə /

noun

1. any person whom one does not know

2. a person who is new to a particular locality, from another region, town, etc

3. a guest or visitor

4. (foll by to) a person who is unfamiliar (with) or new (to) something

   he is no stranger to computers

5. law a person who is neither party nor privy to a transaction

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Related Words

Stranger, foreigner both refer to someone regarded as outside of or distinct from a particular group. Stranger may apply to one who does not belong to some group—social, professional, national, etc.—or may apply to a person with whom one is not acquainted. Foreigner emphasizes a difference in language, customs, and background.

Other Word Forms

• strangerlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of stranger

1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French estrangier, equivalent to estrange strange + -ier -ier ²

Example Sentences

While Mescal’s no stranger to playing the put-upon father in his relatively brief yet prolific career, his brooding verges on laughable.

From Salon

Breeds with higher wolf ancestry were more often described as "suspicious of strangers," "independent," "dignified," "alert," "loyal," "reserved," and "territorial."

From Science Daily

A man has said it was "absolutely brilliant" to receive more than 100 selfies from strangers after he put up posters of his roommate's dog.

From BBC

I thought of Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Those two strangers are the only characters we see, and the mundane action described in the title is also at the core of the narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alien
• foreigner
• guest
• immigrant
• intruder
• newcomer
• outsider
• visitor