afield

[ uh-feeld ]

/ əˈfild /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR afield ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

abroad; away from home.

off the beaten path; far and wide: to go afield in one's reading.

off the mark: His criticism was totally afield.

in or to the field or countryside.

beyond the range or field of one's experience, knowledge, acquaintanceship, etc.: a philosophy far afield of previous philosophical thought.

RELATED WORDS

astray, amiss

Nearby words

afghanistan, afibrillar, afibrinogenemia, aficionada, aficionado, afield, afikomen, afire, afis, afk, afl

Origin of afield

before 1000; Middle English afelde, Old English on felda. See a-¹, field

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for afield

Afield said no one knows why Julie Schenecker killed her children, except Julie Schenecker.
Did Julie Schenecker Kill Her Kids?|Amy Green|February 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
If Julie Schenecker is mentally ill, an insanity defense will be difficult for her to prove, Afield said.
Did Julie Schenecker Kill Her Kids?|Amy Green|February 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I got to like him and often during our rests after long hours afield we would talk of our travels and adventures.
In Africa|John T. McCutcheon
But Longsword had not forgotten the more serious duty that called him afield.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis

A large number of Mexican rurales and police were afield for the same purpose.
The Story of Geronimo|James Arthur Kjelgaard
He hurled her to the ground and the next moment was flying on foot, afield, in horror from the spot.
Villa Elsa|Stuart Henry
Several days had passed since her futile journey, and Tess was afield.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy

British Dictionary definitions for afield

afield

/ (əˈfiːld) /

adverb, adjective (postpositive)

away from one's usual surroundings or home (esp in the phrase far afield)

off the subject; away from the point (esp in the phrase far afield)

in or to the field, esp the battlefield

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for afield

afield

adv.

1590s, contraction of Middle English in felde, from Old English on felda "in the field" (especially of battle), from a- "on" (see a- (1)) + field (n.). Meaning "away from home" is attested by early 15c.