foreign aid

American  

noun

1. economic, technical, or military aid given by one nation to another for purposes of relief and rehabilitation, for economic stabilization, or for mutual defense.

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foreign aid British  

noun

1. economic and other assistance given by one country to another

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Other Word Forms

• foreign-aid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of foreign aid

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foreign aid

The listing carries financial sanctions, restrictions on US foreign aid and defence exports and sales and can also penalise people and other countries that trade with the sanctioned state.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Taliban authorities have vowed to boost economic self-sufficiency and move off a reliance on foreign aid, which once formed the backbone of the previous US-backed government's finances.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

On Friday, Venezuelans welcomed the arrival of foreign aid workers, who were seen digging through the vast piles of collapsed concrete.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Schatz pointed out that Rubio had moved all foreign aid under the State Department and had just wrestled some of that money away from the OMB to respond to an Ebola outbreak.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

Later, when Baba returns from the pharmacy, he says, “They’re taking Hamza to the foreign aid clinic.”

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell