The difference between Alien and Foreign

When used as nouns, alien means a person, animal, plant, or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration, whereas foreign means a foreigner: a person from another country.

When used as adjectives, alien means not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof, whereas foreign means located outside a country or place, especially one's own.

Alien is also verb with the meaning: to estrange.

check bellow for the other definitions of Alien and Foreign

  1. Alien as a noun:

    A person, animal, plant, or other thing which is from outside the family, group, organization, or territory under consideration.

  2. Alien as a noun:

    A foreigner residing in a country.

  3. Alien as a noun:

    Any life form of extraterrestrial origin.

  4. Alien as a noun:

    One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged.

  1. Alien as an adjective:

    Not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof; foreign.

    Examples:

    "'alien subjects, enemies, property, or shores"

  2. Alien as an adjective:

    Very unfamiliar, strange, or removed.

    Examples:

    "principles alien to our religion"

  3. Alien as an adjective:

    Pertaining to extraterrestrial life.

  1. Alien as a verb (transitive):

    To estrange; to alienate.

  2. Alien as a verb (legal):

    To transfer the ownership of something.

  1. Foreign as an adjective:

    Located outside a country or place, especially one's own.

    Examples:

    "foreign markets''; ''foreign soil"

    "He liked visiting foreign cities."

  2. Foreign as an adjective:

    Originating from, characteristic of, belonging to, or being a citizen of a country or place other than the one under discussion.

    Examples:

    "foreign car''; ''foreign word''; ''foreign citizen''; ''foreign trade"

    "There are many more foreign students in Europe since the Erasmus scheme started."

  3. Foreign as an adjective:

    Relating to a different nation.

    Examples:

    "foreign policy''; ''foreign navies"

  4. Foreign as an adjective:

    Not characteristic of or naturally taken in by an organism or system.

    Examples:

    "foreign body''; ''foreign substance''; ''foreign gene''; ''foreign species"

  5. Foreign as an adjective (with ''to'', formerly with ''from''):

    Alien; strange.

    Examples:

    "It was completely foreign to their way of thinking."

  6. Foreign as an adjective (obsolete):

    Held at a distance; excluded; exiled.

  7. Foreign as an adjective (US, state, _, legal):

    From a different one of the states of the United States, as of a state of residence or incorporation.

  8. Foreign as an adjective:

    Belonging to a different organization, company etc.

    Examples:

    "My bank charges me $2.50 every time I use a foreign ATM."

  9. Foreign as an adjective:

    Outside, outdoors, outdoor.

  1. Foreign as a noun:

    A foreign person, particularly: A foreigner: a person from another country. An outsider: a person from another place or group. A non-guildmember.

  2. Foreign as a noun (obsolete):

    A foreign ship.

  3. Foreign as a noun:

    an outhouse.

  4. Foreign as a noun:

    A foreign area, particularly: An area of a community that lies outside the legal town or parish limits. An area of a monastery outside its legal limits or serving as an outer court.

  5. Foreign as a noun:

    Short for various phrases, including foreign language, foreign parts, and foreign service.

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