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foreigner
/ ˈfɒrɪnə /
noun
- a person from a foreign country; alien
- an outsider or interloper
- something from a foreign country, such as a ship or product
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Word History and Origins
Origin of foreigner1
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
First, foreigners bring it, and eventually the Vietnamese join the party.
In one viral post, a user in China noted that he only received a refund after posing as a foreigner.
The government placed strict limits on the ability of the FBI and other agencies to infiltrate and track such organizations, with new laws and rules establishing more rigorous requirements for surveillance on Americans than foreigners.
Photos from inside the warehouses showed that only a few participants, who included foreigners, wore masks and that social distancing was virtually impossible.
In response, a number of nations are trying to make sure they’re the first choice for those expat-minded foreigners.
The president of Mongolia is one foreigner who may not be invited back to Kim Il Sung University anytime soon.
Generally, the foreigner is a class of person often aligned with other vulnerable populations like widows and orphans.
He was the only foreigner in such a powerful government position in the Congo.
Yeonmi was forbidden from using computers in the town center because she was a foreigner.
A foreigner such as Bartholdi viewed the abolition of slavery as Liberty achieved in the United States.
Not, indeed, until the foreigner's foot was on the step preparatory to mounting did Garnache speak.
Ye told me that he only kepit twa sairvents: a cook, hoosekeper, who lived awe', an' a man—a foreigner?
A foreigner with an imperfect knowledge of English naturally prefers a doctor to whom he can speak in his own tongue.
"You certainly have been very successful over here, Doctor," observed the foreigner, whose English had been acquired in America.
Ill wager that greasy foreigner has got a wife and ten childrenand neglects them.
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About This Word
What is a foreigner?
A foreigner is a person from a different country than the one being referred to, as in The country was welcoming to foreigners from neighboring countries.
Foreigner is a noun form of the adjective foreign, which is used to describe someone or something that is from another place, particularly another country, as in foreign country and foreign language.
Foreigner can be used more generally to mean a person from outside someone’s community or group.
The word foreigner is similar to words like stranger and outsider, referring to a person who is from outside a community. However, foreigner implies that a person has different customs and culture or speaks a different language. Sometimes, foreigner is used negatively to harshly judge or discriminate against a person’s culture, customs, language, or country. It implies that the person or people being discussed are not acceptable in some way—that they don’t belong where they are. Although foreigner can be used in a neutral way, it can also be used in a way that’s very offensive.
Words like immigrant, refugee, and tourist more specifically indicate a person’s status.
Example: The secluded island nation was known for being distrustful of foreigners and rarely allowed visitors from other countries.
Where does foreigner come from?
The first records of the term foreigner come from around the 1370s. Its base word, foreign, ultimately comes from the Latin forus, meaning “out of doors.” The first records of foreign meaning “from another place” come from around the 1370s.
Foreigner can be used in a neutral way, such as in the discussion of international topics like economics, travel, and tourism. However, its association with racism and xenophobia has motivated many people to avoid its use altogether in favor of other more neutral and direct terms.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to foreigner?
- foreign (adjective)
What are some synonyms for foreigner?
What are some words that share a root or word element with foreigner?
What are some words that often get used in discussing foreigner?
How is foreigner used in real life?
The word foreigner can be used neutrally to describe people from other countries. However, it is sometimes used in very offensive ways to discriminate against people from other places or people who simply seem different in some way.
One of the great things about this World Cup is seeing ordinary Brazilians meeting foreigners for the first time. Everyone wins.
— Andrew Downie (@adowniebrazil) June 16, 2014
Today I announced visa restrictions on PRC officials involved in restricting foreigners’ access to Tibet. We will continue to seek reciprocity in our relationship.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 7, 2020
Can foreigners rent apartments in netherlands? Is it a tricky process?
— Daniel – himr (@rabbitlol666) September 29, 2020
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