overseas

overseas — adjective

1. connected with a country outside your own, or located there rather than at home.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with a country outside your own, or located there rather than at home.

Example

The company opened an overseas branch in Bangkok last year.

pattern: overseas + noun

Overseas students at the fair shared food from twelve countries.

collocation: overseas students

Common collocations
  • overseas branch
  • overseas students
  • overseas buyers
  • overseas program
  • overseas visitors
Synonyms
  • foreign

    broader and sometimes more neutral; it can describe anything from another country, not only life or activity abroad

  • international

    usually stresses links between several countries, not simply being in one other country

  • offshore

    can overlap in business contexts, but often suggests finance, tax arrangements, or location at sea

Antonyms
  • domestic

    inside the home country rather than abroad

  • local

    near a particular place, not in another country

Grammar Patterns

overseas + noun

Usage Note

Usually placed before a noun, especially with words about business, study, travel, and visitors: 'overseas branch', 'overseas student', 'overseas market'. Distinguish from adverb sense 1, which comes after the verb: 'work overseas'.

Common Mistakes

My sister works overseas company.
My sister works for an overseas company.
this adjective must modify a noun, not stand alone after the verb.

overseas — adverb

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For sense 1, overseas often describes people, offices, study, travel, or trade connected with another country. Foreign is broader and can describe anything not from your own country, so it sometimes sounds less specific than overseas. International usually points to activity involving two or more countries working together, not simply being in one other country. Offshore can overlap in business English, but it often suggests finance, tax arrangements, or sea-based location. Cross-border is common in law, trade, and transport, especially when an actual border is important. You can say an overseas branch in Bangkok or overseas students on campus, but an international team or cross-border payment.

overseas ↗foreign ↗international ↗offshore ↗cross-border

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Overseas is a modern English compound formed from over and sea. It first pointed to places or movement on the far side of the sea from one's own country, then widened to the more general idea of being in or connected with another country.