foreign aid

American

noun

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

foreign aid British

noun

economic and other assistance given by one country to another

"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

Other Word Forms

foreign-aid adjective

Etymology

Origin of foreign aid

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

Vaccines are facing a tide of misinformation and disinformation, the agencies said, while cuts in foreign aid spending were also taking their toll.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

The symbolic significance of an independent agency for foreign aid is powerful too.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

International rules allow governments to spend some of their foreign aid budgets at home to support asylum seekers during the first year after their arrival.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

After U.S. foreign aid was cut, countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and other developed nations followed suit.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

They took him immediately to Thysville, which is about a hundred kilometers south of Léopoldville over the best road in this nation, repaved recently with a grant of foreign aid.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023