What does "abroad" mean?
Countries or lands abroad.
Abroad
/əˈbɹɔːd/ adj, adv, noun, prep
adj, adv, noun, prep ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Countries or lands abroad.
- Grammar: abroad is listed as adj, adv, noun, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: overseas, abashed, aberrant, adrift.
- Useful contrasts: stateside, confidentially, domestic.
- Usage evidence: Why do you want to study abroad?
How to use "abroad"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "abroad" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "abroad" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "abroad" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "abroad" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "abroad" is acting as adj, adv, noun, prep in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "overseas" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "abroad", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Countries or lands abroad. Scotland, postpositional, rare
"I hate abroad, abroad’s bloody."
Adjective
- 1 International. nonstandard, not-comparable, postpositional
"[...] 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."
Adjective
- 1 in a foreign country wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries. not-comparable, postpositional
"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."
- 2 At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space. dated, not-comparable, postpositional
"A tree spreads its branches abroad."
- 3 Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one's abode. dated, not-comparable, postpositional
"I went to St. James', where another was preaching in the court abroad."
- 4 Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; moving without restriction. dated, not-comparable, postpositional
"This Peece, or Schisme of Suicisme, and Selfishnesse, hath spawned most of the Heresies and Schismes, that are abroad in the World."
- 5 Not on target; astray; in error; confused; dazed. not-comparable, postpositional
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Played elsewhere than one's home grounds. not-comparable, postpositional
Adverb
- 1 to or in a foreign country wordnet
- 2 in a place across an ocean wordnet
- 3 far away from home or one's usual surroundings wordnet
Preposition
- 1 Throughout, over. postpositional
Antonyms
Example
"Why do you want to study abroad?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "abroad"?
Common synonyms include: overseas, abashed, aberrant, adrift, afar, afield.
How do you use "abroad" in a sentence?
Why do you want to study abroad?
How do you pronounce "abroad"?
Pronounced /əˈbɹɔːd/.
Etymology
First attested in mid 13th century. From Middle English abrood (“broadly widely scattered”), from a- (“on, in”) + brood (“broad”). Equivalent to a- + broad.