Word
foreigner
Phoneticsfor·eign·er
US/ˈfɑɹənɝ/
UK/fˈɒɹənɐ/
Definitions
01person from another country
n. a person who was born in or comes from a country that is not your own.
n. a person belonging to or coming from a foreign country. While technically neutral, it is often replaced by 'international visitor' or 'immigrant' in sensitive contexts to avoid sounding exclusionary.
“When I first moved to Tokyo, I felt like a foreigner because I didn't speak the language.”
“The new legislation aims to simplify the visa process for foreigners who wish to establish small businesses within the country.”
Usage
Countable noun.
Pitfall
The city is full of foreigners tourists.
The city is full of foreign tourists.
Use the adjective 'foreign' to describe a noun. 'Foreigner' is a noun and cannot be used as a modifier.
Teaching tip
Advise students that while this word is common, using 'locals' and 'visitors' or 'expats' often sounds more natural and polite in casual conversation.
02unofficial private work
n. a private job that a worker does for their own profit instead of for their employer.
n. an unofficial or private piece of work undertaken by an employee, typically using the employer's tools or time, without the employer's knowledge.
“The mechanic did a few foreigners on the weekend to make some extra cash.”
“Management began cracking down on staff who were using the factory lathes to complete foreigners during their lunch breaks.”
Informal · British English · Dialect
Usage
Common in British and Australian trades slang.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Some 'extranjería' offices in Spain are succeeding in preventing scammers from charging desperate foreigners for residency appointments by sidestepping the traditional 'cita previa' system.” “Foreigners accounted for 39.3% of Incheon’s passengers in the first half of the year, up from 35.2% for the whole of 2025.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/foreigner