foreign affairs

plural noun

1. activities of a nation in its relationships with other nations; international relations.

foreign affairs

plural noun

1. matters abroad that involve the homeland, such as relations with another country

2. matters that do not involve the homeland

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreign affairs¹

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

He was a researcher for Finland's representative office at the European Union, before working his way through various positions until becoming an MEP in 2004, minister of foreign affairs, prime minister and - last year - his country's president.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned if the embassy's decision was "blackmail" after he said he had rejected an American proposal to take in migrants from third countries.

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A few days later I saw a friend who knows his foreign affairs and he said, “Do you believe the idiocy of this guy?”

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They also say the court should defer to the president because tariffs involve foreign affairs and national security.

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It offered a single page of vague, threadbare justification, suggesting that the president’s authority over foreign affairs outweighs Congress’ control over spending.

Read more on Slate