stranger
Americannoun
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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
-
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:
She added: "Although this type of stranger offending is rare, this conviction reflects the gravity of his crimes and the commitment of prosecutors and police to bring him to justice."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Because I’m a stranger who people regularly turn to for financial help, my inbox typically overflows with general questions like the one above.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Then, on Sunday, the story got much stranger when the FDA announced that the sample provided by “Taylor Farms de Mexico,” which had initially tested positive, was actually a false positive.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
How could he embrace this stranger as his twin?
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Thus, the idea that this unwelcome stranger would bring mayhem to their delicate balance was detestable.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
“His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike,” the company stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
"There were lots of people I didn't know and I'm not a confident eater in front of strangers, but I got used to it, and now I'll eat anywhere," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
This, the author argues, has led to a loss of the innovation in music, fashion and art that raving with raucous strangers on sticky dance floors sometimes sparks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Davies said she felt anxious whenever strangers appeared to recognise her in the supermarket.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Friendly faces came into view, some familiar—Gran; my favorite teacher, Miss Kirker; the vet assistant with a tower of pumpkin-orange curls—along with gobs of strangers gathered in the parking lot.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
