adj · adv · 9 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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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌəʊvəˈsiːz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˌoʊvɚˈsiːz/
homophone: oversees
rhymes with -iːz
CMU ARPABET:OW1 V ER0 S IY1 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Abroad, especially across the sea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Overseas branches of the company are doing well.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: transmarine, ultramarine
Antonyms: domestic
2
adj
Meaning 2
Used with ethnicities, nationalities, or religious affiliations: living (being resident) in a foreign country.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Overseas Chinese communities exist in North and South America.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Across a sea; to or in an area across a sea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Her overseas trip went well.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
Abroad.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
He emigrated and now lives overseas.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adv
Meaning 5
Across a sea; to an area across a sea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
She travelled overseas.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
in a foreign country
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
markets abroad
overseas markets
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abroad
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
being or passing over or across the sea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
some overseas trade in grain arose
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oversea
Antonyms: none provided
8
adverb
Meaning 8
in a place across an ocean
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abroad
Antonyms: none provided
9
adverb
Meaning 9
beyond or across the sea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He lived overseas for many years
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oversea
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From earlier oversea, equivalent to oversea + -s. Compare West Frisian oerseesk, Dutch overzees, German Übersee, Danish oversøisk.
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
buitlands
— abroad
Afrikaans:
oorsee
— abroad
Finnish:
ulkomainen
— abroad
French:
outre-mer
— abroad
German:
Übersee-
— abroad
German:
im Ausland
— abroad
German:
Auslands-
— abroad
Hebrew:
מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם
(me'éver layyám)
— abroad
Igbo:
ùfèsị
— abroad
Irish:
thar lear
— abroad
Italian:
estero
— abroad
Japanese:
海外の
(kaigai no)
— abroad
Norwegian Bokmål:
oversjøisk
— abroad
Norwegian Nynorsk:
oversjøisk
— abroad
Portuguese:
do exterior
— abroad
Russian:
заграни́чный
(zagraníčnyj)
— abroad
Russian:
иностра́нный
(inostránnyj)
— abroad
Russian:
зарубе́жный
(zarubéžnyj)
— abroad
Serbo-Croatian:
inostranstvo
— abroad
Spanish:
de ultramar
— abroad
Spanish:
en ultramar
— abroad
Thai:
โพ้นทะเล
(póon-tálee)
— abroad
Catalan:
ultramar
— across a sea
Dutch:
overzees
— across a sea
Esperanto:
transmarejo
— across a sea
Finnish:
merentakainen
— across a sea
French:
outre-mer
— across a sea
Georgian:
ზღვისიქითა
(zɣvisikita)
— across a sea
Georgian:
ზღვისიქითური
(zɣvisikituri)
— across a sea
Hungarian:
tengerentúli
— across a sea
Igbo:
na ùfèsị mmiri
— across a sea
Italian:
oltremare
— across a sea
Norwegian Bokmål:
oversjøisk
— across a sea
Norwegian Nynorsk:
oversjøisk
— across a sea
Polish:
zamorski
— across a sea
Portuguese:
ultramarino
— across a sea
Russian:
замо́рский
(zamórskij)
— across a sea
Russian:
заокеа́нский
(zaokeánskij)
— across a sea
