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Synonyms

foreign relations

American  

noun

  1. (used with a plural verb) the dealings and relationships between nations.

  2. (used with a singular verb) the field of foreign affairs.

    an expert in foreign relations.

  3. (used with a singular verb) the quality or character of foreign affairs as a consequence of foreign policy.

    a deterioration in their foreign relations.

Etymology

Origin of foreign relations

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

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.

Last week, the Mexican Senate confirmed President Claudia Sheinbaum’s nomination of Velasco as the new secretary of foreign relations, Mexico’s equivalent of secretary of State.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The image illustrated what many experts say is Field Marshal Asim Munir's growing role at the centre of Pakistan's foreign relations.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The House of Representatives and the Senate each have an armed services committee and a foreign relations or foreign affairs committee.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2025

It remains the most experienced party when it comes to foreign relations; recently, it had to navigate a volatile global order and an unstable Asia-Pacific region.

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2025

German foreign relations Germany was a party to the Berne convention and to the Paris acts, and ratified July 12, 1910, the Berlin convention.

From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers

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.