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.

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Etymology

Origin of foreign relations

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

In 1960, it was one of the founding members of OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; in 1973, OPEC’s oil embargo, which pushed prices to a record, gave it the highest per-capita income in Latin America, according to Diana Roy and Amelia Cheatham of the Council on Foreign Relations.

From Los Angeles Times

“They can make all the slides they want,” said Steven Cook, a senior fellow for the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank who just traveled to Israel but did not see the draft.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hoffman is a professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow in counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations.

From Slate

“If the guns fall silent, these funds will be crucial for restarting the war-torn economy and addressing the country’s postconflict challenges,” said Jana Kobzova, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Salon

Related Words

• diplomacy