WordGarden.ioforeigner
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈɒrənə/
US
- /ˈfɑrənər/
Meanings
Noun
a person from another country
a person who is outside or unfamiliar with a particular group or place
Beyond the definition
The word "foreigner" usually means a person from a different country than the country being talked about. If a tourist from Canada visits Spain, that person is a foreigner in Spain. The word is often neutral, but the tone matters a lot. In some situations, it is just a simple way to talk about nationality or where someone comes from. In other situations, especially when people are talking about immigration, culture, or belonging, it can sound cold or make someone seem separate from others. In stories, a person may even feel like a foreigner in a familiar place when they no longer feel at home there.
"Foreigner" is a noun used to describe a person from a country other than the one being discussed or the one they are in. At its most basic level, it is a simple word for someone from abroad. A German traveler in Mexico may be described as a foreigner there, just as a Mexican traveler in Germany may be described as a foreigner there.
But the word is not only about passports or legal status. It can also point to distance, difference, and the feeling of not fully belonging. Someone may live in a country for many years, speak the language well, and still be seen as a foreigner by other people. In a story, a returning character might even feel like a foreigner in their own hometown after being away for a long time.
The effect of the word depends heavily on context. In neutral use, it may simply identify that a person is not from the local country. In less friendly use, it can sound distancing or even insulting, especially if it is used to separate "us" from "them." Because of this, speakers often choose more specific or gentler words, such as "visitor," "international student," "immigrant," or simply the person's nationality, depending on the situation.
The idea is always relative. A person is only a foreigner from the point of view of a particular country or community. The same person may be local in one place and foreign in another. That is why the word is clear in meaning but sensitive in tone.
So, while "foreigner" basically means "a person from another country," it often carries social and emotional meaning as well. It is useful and common, but it should be used with care, since it can sound neutral in one sentence and harsh in another.
Examples
- 1
First encounter
She had never spoken to a foreigner before.
- 2
Hospitality
The hotel staff were used to helping foreigners who didn't speak the local language.
- 3
Legal status
As a foreigner, he had to fill out a few extra forms.
- Phraseas a foreigner
because he was a foreigner
- 4
Belonging
Even after living there for ten years, she still felt like a foreigner sometimes.
- Phrasefeel like a foreigner
feel that you do not fully belong
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Outsider view
In that small village, any outsider was seen as a foreigner.
- 6
Social caution
Calling someone a foreigner can sound rude in some situations.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- foreignernoun
Forms
- foreignerspluralnoun