foreigner

What it means

1. A person from a foreign country.

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

   1971 October 6, Alberto R. Oliva, “The American Sense of Guilt”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2024

   2 more examples

   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.

   1852 May 4, Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, quotee, “FOREIGN REFUGEES.”, in Hansard's Parliamentary Debates

   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.

   2012 April 18, David McKenzie, “Chad’s migrant workers pay price for Libya conflict”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 01 Jan 2026

   Synonyms: outlander, outsider · Antonyms: native

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

In a sentence

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

1971 October 6, Alberto R. Oliva, “The American Sense of Guilt”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2024

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishforner
2. Englishforeigner

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.