foreign relations
Americannoun
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(used with a plural verb) the dealings and relationships between nations.
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(used with a singular verb) the field of foreign affairs.
an expert in foreign relations.
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(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.
Washington also targeted Jose Antonio Remon Rodriguez, head of MINFAR's foreign relations directorate, and Oscar Enrique Biosca Gallego, who oversees economic affairs within the ministry.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
In other countries, Mr. Mandelbaum writes, “a small circle of officials” tend to dominate foreign relations, paying scant heed to “what the people of the country have thought or wanted.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
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 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
Spanish foreign relations Spain was one of the original parties to the Berne convention, accepted the Paris acts and adopted the Berlin convention without reservation, through ratification by the King September 5, 1910.
From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Richard Rogers Bowker
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.
