stranger
Americannoun
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strangers
plural
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a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance.
He is a perfect stranger to me.
- Antonyms:
- acquaintance
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a newcomer in a place or locality.
a stranger in town.
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an outsider.
They want no strangers in on the club meetings.
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a person who is unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something (usually followed byto ).
He is no stranger to poverty.
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a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest.
Our town shows hospitality to strangers.
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Law. one not privy or party to an act, proceeding, etc.
noun
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any person whom one does not know
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a person who is new to a particular locality, from another region, town, etc
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a guest or visitor
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(foll by to) a person who is unfamiliar (with) or new (to) something
he is no stranger to computers
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law a person who is neither party nor privy to a transaction
Synonym Usage
Stranger, foreigner both refer to someone regarded as outside of or distinct from a particular group. Stranger may apply to one who does not belong to some group—social, professional, national, etc.—or may apply to a person with whom one is not acquainted. Foreigner emphasizes a difference in language, customs, and background.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stranger
1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French estrangier, equivalent to estrange strange + -ier -ier 2
Explanation
A stranger is someone you don't know or who doesn't belong in a specific place. Parents tell their kids, "Don't talk to strangers." That's because strangers are people they don't know, who could be dangerous. Just like strange things are odd or weird, a stranger is unknown and therefore potentially scary. Also, anyone out of place can be considered a stranger. A fireman in a police station is a stranger, and a mascot in a scientific lab is a stranger. Either type of stranger is likely to make someone say, "Who's that?"
Vocabulary lists containing stranger
"Encounter"
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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 1
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"Old World New World" and "The Log of Christopher Columbus"
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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.
See Examples For:
The album’s most memorable song was “Not Ready to Make Nice,” a rebuke of a mother who would make her daughter hate a perfect stranger.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
Dave said he was particularly touched when a stranger responded to his Facebook appeal looking for a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
A stranger passes by, intruding momentarily on our conversation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The bugs let a stranger take over any website.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
I didn’t have anything like that for my scroll—for obvious anonymous reasons—but the idea of just...telling a stranger about this huge part of you?
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
The essence of Children in Need, since it started in 1980, has been about strangers coming together to raise money to help others.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Meaning when I was in my late 30s or I was enjoying the success of the album “Play,” a lot of my self-worth and self-perception had to do with the opinions of strangers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
"We have no problem with strangers as long as they respect boundaries."
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
The possibility of strangers allowing marinara to fossilize on my favorite saucepan is among the many reasons I’ve never considered entering the vacation rental business.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
Table by table, the circle of belief widened from friends to acquaintances, from acquaintances to strangers, until it included many prominent Rochester businessmen, doctors, ministers, wives, and children … soon reaching the famous Frederick Douglass.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
