overseas
Americanadverb
adjective
-
of or relating to passage over the sea.
overseas travel.
-
situated beyond the sea.
overseas territories.
-
pertaining to countries, associations, activities, etc., beyond the sea.
overseas military service; overseas commitments.
noun
adverb
adjective
-
of, to, in, from, or situated in countries beyond the sea
-
Also: oversea. of or relating to passage over the sea
noun
Etymology
Origin of overseas
before 1150; oversea ( Middle English overse, Old English ofer sǣ; see over-, sea) + -s 3 or -s 1
Explanation
There's no trick to the meaning of overseas. If someone goes overseas, they've gone "over" the "seas" — to a foreign country. When overseas came into use, there were no airplanes, so technically speaking, one traveled "across" or "on" the seas, in a ship. Nevertheless, one was thought to have made it "over the sea," hence overseas. When traveling overseas, make sure your phone works on the network in the country where you're headed. Also, the laws and customs overseas can be very different from the ones we have here, so be careful. What here at home you consider small potatoes legally might be a big deal overseas.
Vocabulary lists containing overseas
Chapter 21: Age of Exploration and Trade
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Chapter 27: America and World War II
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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.
Consulting a tax professional experienced with Americans living overseas about your personal circumstances is advised.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Chinese automakers are trying to aggressively expand overseas, despite major obstacles in some of the world’s largest markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
In March, an estimated 8 million people participated in 3,300 events held around the U.S. and overseas — an increase of 1 million demonstrators compared with the “No Kings” event last October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
North Korea has not yet resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who once made up the bulk of its overseas visitors.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Master was a little crazy; he had spent too many years reading books overseas, talked to himself in his office, did not always return greetings, and had too much hair.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
