Standard Lemma guide

foreignness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈfɔɹən.nəs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign; exoticness, otherness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A characteristic that indicates foreignness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quality of being alien or not native

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the strangeness of a foreigner

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: strangeness, curiousness

Antonyms: nativeness

Broader terms: quality

Narrower terms: exoticism, exoticness, exotism, alienage, alienism

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English foreign Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English foreignness From foreign + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 外國特色 /外国特色 (wàiguó tèsè) — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Chinese Mandarin: 外來性 /外来性 (wàiláixìng) — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Chinese Mandarin: 異物性 /异物性 (yìwùxìng) — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Czech: cizost — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Finnish: vieraus — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Finnish: vierasmaalaisuus — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • French: extranéité — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • German: Fremdheit — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Greek: ξενικότητα (xenikótita) — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Portuguese: estrangeirismo — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Russian: чу́ждость (čúždostʹ) — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign
  • Spanish: ajenidad — quality of being, appearing, or being perceived as foreign