overseas
Americanadverb
adjective
-
of or relating to passage over the sea.
overseas travel.
-
situated beyond the sea.
overseas territories.
-
pertaining to countries, associations, activities, etc., beyond the sea.
overseas military service; overseas commitments.
noun
adverb
adjective
-
of, to, in, from, or situated in countries beyond the sea
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Also: oversea. of or relating to passage over the sea
noun
Etymology
Origin of overseas
before 1150; oversea ( Middle English overse, Old English ofer sǣ; over-, sea ) + -s 3 or -s 1
Explanation
There's no trick to the meaning of overseas. If someone goes overseas, they've gone "over" the "seas" — to a foreign country. When overseas came into use, there were no airplanes, so technically speaking, one traveled "across" or "on" the seas, in a ship. Nevertheless, one was thought to have made it "over the sea," hence overseas. When traveling overseas, make sure your phone works on the network in the country where you're headed. Also, the laws and customs overseas can be very different from the ones we have here, so be careful. What here at home you consider small potatoes legally might be a big deal overseas.
Vocabulary lists containing overseas
Chapter 21: Age of Exploration and Trade
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Chapter 27: America and World War II
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Skyrocketing oil prices have also boosted demand overseas for Chinese electric vehicles, with official data last week showing shipments of those and hybrids rose 140 percent year-on-year in March.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Industry consolidation and the exodus of film production work overseas took center stage Tuesday at the CinemaCon trade convention in Las Vegas.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
President Trump and advisers are considering the impact on Wall Street and Main Street of continued fighting overseas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Then, thinking he would have more success selling his invention overseas, Howe traveled to England.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
“When I got back from overseas I couldn’t wait to get home to McDowell County. It’s where I belong.”
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
