abroad
/ə'brɔ:d/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adverb:
- In or to a foreign country: Refers to being located in or traveling to a country that is not one's own.
- Over a wide area; widely; in circulation: Refers to something being spread or known in many places.
- Out of doors; outside: An older or less common usage meaning outdoors.
Adjective (Postpositive):
- Being in a foreign country: Used after verbs like 'be' to describe the state of being overseas. This use is less common than the adverbial form.
Usage Examples
Adverb:
- She has lived abroad for ten years. (She has lived in foreign countries for ten years.)
- The company exports its products abroad. (The company sends its products to foreign countries.)
- Rumors are abroad about the merger. (Rumors about the merger are circulating widely.)
Adjective (Postpositive):
- He was the only person I knew abroad. (He was the only person I knew who was in a foreign country.)
Advanced Usage
"From abroad": Coming from a foreign country.
- We received a shipment of goods from abroad. (We received a shipment of goods originating in a foreign country.)
"At home and abroad": A common phrase meaning both domestically and internationally.
- The policy has supporters both at home and abroad. (The policy has supporters both in the home country and in foreign countries.)
Variants and Related Words
- Overseas (adv/adj): Very similar in meaning to 'abroad', often used interchangeably. It can more specifically imply crossing a sea.
- He works for an overseas branch of the bank.
Synonyms
- Overseas: In, to, or from a country across the sea.
- Internationally: Involving or operating between different nations.
- In foreign parts: An older or more literary way to say 'in foreign countries'.
Related Phrases
"To be all abroad" (idiom, chiefly British, dated): To be completely mistaken or confused.
- His answer showed he was all abroad on the subject. (His answer showed he was completely mistaken about the subject.)
"The schoolmaster is abroad" (idiom, dated): This phrase, popularized in the 19th century, means that education is becoming widespread or that knowledge is being disseminated.
Adjective
- in a foreign country
- markets abroad
- overseas markets
Adverb
- in a place across an ocean
- far away from home or one's usual surroundings
- looking afield for new lands to conquer- R.A.Hall
- to or in a foreign country
- they had never travelled abroad