foreigner

From Middle English forner, foreyner, foroner, forenere, augmentation of earlier forein (“foreigner”), from the adjective. Equivalent to foreign +‎ -er. Use of the -er suffix may be due to analogy with Middle English straunger (“stranger”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɹ.ɪ.nɚ/, /ˈfɔɹ.ə.nɚ/
• (New York City) IPA^(key): /ˈfɑɹ.ɪ.nɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: for‧eign‧er

foreigner (plural foreigners)

1. A person from a foreign country.
   • 1852 April 5, Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, quotee, “FOREIGN REFUGEES.”, in Hansard's Parliamentary Debates‎^[1]:

     By the existing law of Great Britain all foreigners have the unrestricted right of entrance and residence in this country; and while they remain in it are, equally with British subjects, under the protection of the law; nor can they be punished except for an offence against the law, and under the sentence of the ordinary tribunals of justice, after a public trial, and on a conviction founded on evidence given in open court. No foreigners, as such, can be sent out of this country by the Executive Government, except persons removed by virtue of treaties with other States; confirmed by Act of Parliament, for the mutual surrender of criminal offenders.

   • 1971 October 6, Alberto R. Oliva, “The American Sense of Guilt”, in The New York Times‎^[2], archived from the original on 19 September 2024:

     For a student of American history and a foreigner like myself, it is easier to understand all these extremisms of conscience.

   • 2012 April 18, David McKenzie, “Chad’s migrant workers pay price for Libya conflict”, in CNN Business‎^[3], archived from the original on 1 January 2026:

     Though foreigners did play some part in fighting as mercenaries for Gadhafi during the bloody Libyan war, the IOM and local leaders in Chad say the vast majority of Chadians, like Mohammed, were working to send remittances home.

2. A private job run by an employee at a trade factory rather than going through the business.

• (person from a foreign country): alien, metœcus, outlander, outsider, stranger; see also Thesaurus:foreigner

• foreign
• furriner