abroad

Syllables: a·broadUK/əˈbɹɔːd/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/əˈbɹoːd/

abroad adverb: beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries.

Adverb

abroad (not comparable)

(postpositional) Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries.
- A closer look at North Korean history reveals what Pyongyang’s leaders really want their near-farcical belligerence to achieve — a reminder to the world that North Korea exists, and an impression abroad that its leaders are irrational and unpredictable.2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in New York Times
- Another prince, deposed by the Revolution, was living abroad.1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIV, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume 3
(dated, postpositional) At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space.
- A tree spreads its branches abroad.
- "Faither!" I cried as I undid the bolt and pushed the leaves of the door abroad, "Faither, ye are welcome hame!"1895, Samuel Rutherford Crockett, The Men of the Moss-hags, page 28
(dated, postpositional) Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one's abode.
- I went to St. James', where another was preaching in the court abroad.p. 1650, John Evelyn, edited by William Bray, Diary, Frederic Warne and Company, published 1818, entry for 1650 July 7, page 207
- Again: The lonely fox roams far abroad, / On ſecret rapine bent and midnight fraud; […]1718, Matthew Prior, Solomon, and other Poems on several Occasions
(dated, postpositional) Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; moving without restriction.
- This Peece, or Schisme of Suicisme, and Selfishnesse, hath spawned most of the Heresies and Schismes, that are abroad in the World.1654, Richard Whitlock, Zootomia; Or, Observations on the Present Manners of the English
- But he went out, and beganne to publish it much, and to blase abroad the matter: insomuch that Iesus could no more openly enter into the citie, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from euery quarter.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 1:45
(postpositional) Not on target; astray; in error; confused; dazed.
(postpositional) Played elsewhere than one's home grounds.

Noun

abroad

(Scotland, postpositional, rare) Countries or lands abroad.
- I hate abroad, abroad’s bloody.1929, King George V, widely (and variously) quoted
- I am not, however, a xenophobe: obviously, abroad has some good ideas—arranged marriages, violent revolutions and so on.c. 1991, New Statesman & Society, volumes 3–4, page 180

Preposition

abroad

(postpositional) Throughout, over.

Adjective

abroad (not comparable)

(nonstandard, postpositional, chiefly non-native speakers' English) International.
- [...] much shorter than an abroad trip at eight nights although the average spending per person night is only slightly less on a US trip than an abroad trip, $37 compared with $41. Around half of Canadian trips to other countries are to Europe.1991, Alan Jefferson, Leonard John Lickorish, Marketing Tourism: A Practical Guide
- [...] an abroad trip was going to raise some heat in the town, amongst our relatives. My family has always been the pioneers of middle-classism. My mother has still never owned a diamond.2018 January 25, Shalini & Brajesh, My Traditional Dil-E-Maa, Notion Press, →ISBN

abroad meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

abroad in Hindi

in foreign countries: विदेश में videś mẽ
countries or lands abroad: विदेश videś

abroad in Tamil

in foreign countries: வெளிநாட்டில் veḷināṭṭil, வெளிநாடுகளில் veḷināṭukaḷil
at large; widely; broadly; over a wide space: விரித்து virittu
without a certain confine; outside the house: சுற்றும் cuṟṟum
countries or lands abroad: வெளிநாடு veḷināṭu, வெளிநாடுகள் veḷināṭukaḷ

abroad in Marathi

परदेशात

abroad in Urdu

abroad, overseas: بیرون ملک bairūn-i mulk
abroad, foreign: باہر bāhar

More languagesFewer languages

abroad in Bengali: বিদেশে, চতুর্দিকে, ব্যাপকভাবে, সঁচরমান
abroad in Telugu: ప్రోషితము prōṣitamu
abroad in Malayalam: പുറത്ത് puṟattŭ
abroad in Kannada: ಹೊರನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ
abroad in Punjabi: پردیس pardes
abroad in Assamese: বাহিৰত bahirot
abroad in Arabic: فِي الْخَارِج fī l-ḵārij, اِلَى الْخَارِج ilā l-ḵārij, فِي اَلْخَارِج fī l-ḵārij
abroad in Persian: خارج از کشور

Examples of abroad in a sentence

But the time was soon over, and before he realized it Tarzan found himself abroad again.1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “A Duel”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published...
There were very few people abroad and the two men standing quietly under a tree on the opposite side of the boulevard looked out of place.1953, Ian Fleming, chapter 6, in Casino Royale, page 34:
[...] as her father had an abroad trip, he had dropped her mother here.2018 April 12, Beena Sunil, Thorns of Love, Notion Press, →ISBN:
Sreeja argued with Lalit to reduce his abroad trip and Lalit did listen to her. [...] Sreeja started to feel lonely even when Lalit was around.2022 February 19, Deepika Kathiresan, Yuva Janani, Felicible Paradise, Unvoiced Heart, page 31:

All 40 example sentences with abroad

Forms of abroad

alternative Scotland	abread
alternative Scotland	abreed
alternative Scotland	abrede
alternative Scotland	abraid
alternative form (obsolete)	abrode
alternative form (obsolete)	overbroad

Origin of abroad

First attested in mid 13th century. From Middle English abrood (“broadly widely scattered”), from a- (“on, in”) + brood (“broad”). Equivalent to a- + broad.

Words formed from abroad

Phrases with abroad

Words that rhyme with abroad

11 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about abroad

What does abroad mean?: Abroad means beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries.
What is abroad in Hindi?: Abroad in Hindi is विदेश में (videś mẽ), विदेश (videś). See Abroad meaning in Hindi.
How do you use abroad in a sentence?: But the time was soon over, and before he realized it Tarzan found himself abroad again.
What part of speech is abroad?: Abroad can be an adverb, a noun, a preposition or an adjective.
How do you pronounce abroad?: Abroad is pronounced /əˈbɹɔːd/ (UK).

Words near abroad in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-abroad.ogg.

Cite this entry: “abroad.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/abroad. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.