abroad
Americanadverb
-
in or to a foreign country or countries.
famous at home and abroad.
- Synonyms:
- overseas
- Antonyms:
- at-home
-
in or to another continent.
Shall we go to Mexico or abroad this summer?
-
out of doors; from one place to another; about.
No one was abroad in the noonday heat. The owl ventures abroad at night.
-
spread around; in circulation.
Rumors of disaster are abroad.
- Synonyms:
- rife, everywhere
-
broadly; widely; far and wide.
-
wide of the mark; in error.
noun
adverb
adjective
-
(of news, rumours, etc) in general circulation; current
-
out in the open
-
over a wide area
-
archaic in error
Etymology
Origin of abroad
First recorded in 1225–75, abroad is from the Middle English word abrod. See a- 1, broad
Explanation
If you study abroad in your junior year of college, you are going to school in another country. Use abroad when you are talking about going to or from a place across an ocean. Abroad really just means in a different country, but it is almost always used interchangeably with "overseas." You almost never hear an American say, "She lives abroad; she's studying in Canada." You might be eager to take a trip abroad. If so, get your passport ready. They won't let you board a plane going abroad without one.
Vocabulary lists containing abroad
Beowulf vocabulary
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Remote Learning: Synonyms for "Far"
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Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If Chinese factories use humanoid robots to lower costs, the effect will show up in exported goods whether or not the robots themselves are sold abroad.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
"Kerala continued to rely heavily on remittances from abroad, which have wavered, creating mounting fiscal pressures and inadequate employment generation, especially among youth," says Ruparelia.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
She has embarked on a bus-and-motorcycle caravan across Venezuela and traveled abroad, tightened control over the state and reshuffled her cabinet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
According to Iran's Fars news agency, Washington has agreed to release part of Tehran's funds frozen abroad under international sanctions and to end its naval blockade of ships travelling to and from Iranian ports.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
You may be interested to know that, while I was abroad, a certain Judge Quinzy was appointed to the board of trustees.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
