overseas
Americanadverb
adjective
-
of or relating to passage over the sea.
overseas travel.
-
situated beyond the sea.
overseas territories.
-
pertaining to countries, associations, activities, etc., beyond the sea.
overseas military service; overseas commitments.
noun
adverb
adjective
-
of, to, in, from, or situated in countries beyond the sea
-
Also: oversea. of or relating to passage over the sea
noun
Etymology
Origin of overseas
before 1150; oversea ( Middle English overse, Old English ofer sǣ; see over-, sea) + -s 3 or -s 1
Explanation
There's no trick to the meaning of overseas. If someone goes overseas, they've gone "over" the "seas" — to a foreign country. When overseas came into use, there were no airplanes, so technically speaking, one traveled "across" or "on" the seas, in a ship. Nevertheless, one was thought to have made it "over the sea," hence overseas. When traveling overseas, make sure your phone works on the network in the country where you're headed. Also, the laws and customs overseas can be very different from the ones we have here, so be careful. What here at home you consider small potatoes legally might be a big deal overseas.
Vocabulary lists containing overseas
Chapter 21: Age of Exploration and Trade
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Chapter 27: America and World War II
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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.
French interests in Europe competed with overseas colonies for resources while peasants and tradesmen resisted emigrating to develop them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
What we do know already is that overseas sentiment is following the U.S.’s.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Her brother, Lindsey Graham, was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The proposed changes would make offences under the law arrestable, and allow courts to try defendants in their absence if they are overseas or unreachable.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
“I am here so you can rest a little, you poor boy. That woman will start overworking you again once she returns from overseas, as if you are not somebody’s child.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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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.
