stranger

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strang·er

(strān′jər)

1. One who is neither a friend nor an acquaintance.

2. A foreigner, newcomer, or outsider.

3. One who is unaccustomed to or unacquainted with something specified; a novice: a stranger to our language; no stranger to hardship.

4. Law One that is neither privy nor party to a title, act, or contract.

5. Archaic A visitor or guest.

[Middle English, from Old French estrangier, from estrange, strange; see strange.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

stranger

(ˈstreɪndʒə)

1. any person whom one does not know

2. a person who is new to a particular locality, from another region, town, etc

3. a guest or visitor

4. (foll by to) a person who is unfamiliar (with) or new (to) something: he is no stranger to computers.

5. (Law) law a person who is neither party nor privy to a transaction

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

stran•ger

(ˈstreɪn dʒər)

n.

1. a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance.

2. a newcomer in a place: a stranger in town.

3. a person who does not belong to the family, group, or community; an outsider: Our town shows hospitality to strangers.

4. a person unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something: no stranger to poverty.

5. a person not legally party to an act, proceeding, etc.

[1325–75; Middle English < Middle French estrangier=estrange strange + -ier -ier²]

syn: stranger, alien, foreigner all refer to someone regarded as outside of or distinct from a particular group. stranger may apply to one who does not belong to some group - social, professional, national, etc. - or may apply to a person with whom one is not acquainted. alien emphasizes a difference in political allegiance and citizenship from that of the country in which one is living. foreigner emphasizes a difference in language, customs, and background.

stranger

extranean - An outsider or stranger, a person not belonging to a household.
barbarian - Based on Greek barbaros, "stranger" or "enemy."
stranger - Originally a foreigner, from Old French estrangier, from Latin extraneus, "person outside."
pilgrim - Its basic meaning was "traveler, homeless wanderer," from Latin peregrinum, "foreigner, stranger."

stranger

A stranger is someone who you have never met before.

A stranger appeared.

Antonio was a stranger to all of us.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'stranger' to talk about someone who comes from a country that is not your own. You can refer to him or her as a foreigner, but this word can sound rather impolite. It is better to say, for example, 'someone from abroad' or 'a person from overseas'.

We have some visitors from abroad coming this week.

Most universities have many postgraduate students from overseas.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	stranger - anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found alien, unknown outsider, foreigner - someone who is excluded from or is not a member of a group interloper, intruder, trespasser - someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission acquaintance, friend - a person with whom you are acquainted; "I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances"; "we are friends of the family"
	2.	stranger - an individual that one is not acquainted with individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" acquaintance, friend - a person with whom you are acquainted; "I have trouble remembering the names of all my acquaintances"; "we are friends of the family"

stranger

noun

1. unknown person Sometimes I feel like I'm living with a stranger.

2. newcomer, incomer, foreigner, guest, visitor, unknown, alien, new arrival, newbie (slang), outlander Being a stranger in town can be a painful experience.

3. unaccustomed to, new to, unused to, ignorant of, a stranger to, inexperienced in, unversed in, unpractised in, unseasoned in He is no stranger to controversy.

Related words
fear xenophobia

Quotations
"a stranger in a strange land" Bible: Exodus

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

stranger

noun

A person coming from another country or into a new community:

alien, émigré, foreigner, newcomer, outlander, outsider.

Translations

زائِر غَريبغَريبغَرِيب

estrangerforaster

cizí člověkcizinec-icenávštěvníkneznámý

fremmedikke stedkendt personukendt

Fremde Fremder Neuling

ξένος άγνωστος αλλοδαπός νέος

desconocido forastero extraño extranjero

muukalainen

étranger étrangère inconnu visiteur

stranacstrankinjatuđinacdošljakdošljakinja

aîkomumaîurókunnugur maîur

estraneo straniero non conoscere bene straniera

知らない人

낯선 사람

незнакомец незнакомый

tujec

främling

คนแปลกหน้า

yabancı

người lạ

陌生人游览者

stranger

[ˈstreɪndʒəʳ] N (= unknown person) → desconocido/a m/f, extraño/a m/f; (from another area etc) → forastero/a m/f
he's a stranger to me → es un desconocido para mí
I'm a stranger here → yo soy nuevo aquí
hello, stranger! → ¡cuánto tiempo sin vernos!
you're quite a stranger! → ¡apenas te dejas ver!
he is no stranger to vice → conoce bien los vicios

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

stranger

[ˈstreɪndʒə^r] n

(= unknown person) → inconnu(e) m/f
Don't talk to strangers → Ne parle pas aux inconnus.
don't be a stranger! (= keep in touch) → on reste en contact

(from somewhere else) → étranger/ère m/f
They are regarded as strangers in the village → On les considère comme des étrangers dans le village.
I'm a stranger here
BUT Je ne suis pas d'ici.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

stranger

n → Fremde(r) mf; he’s a complete stranger to me → ich kenne ihn überhaupt nicht; I’m a stranger here myself → ich bin selbst fremd hier; he is no stranger to London → er kennt sich in London aus; he is no stranger to misfortune → Leid ist ihm nicht fremd; to be a stranger to this kind of work → mit dieser Art von Arbeit nicht vertraut sein; hullo, stranger! (inf) → hallo, lange nicht gesehen; you’re quite a stranger here (inf) → man kennt dich ja gar nicht mehr; the little stranger (hum) → der kleine Neuankömmling

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

stranger

[ˈstreɪndʒəʳ] n (unknown person) → sconosciuto/a; (from another place) → forestiero/a, estraneo/a
I'm a stranger here → non sono del posto
he's a complete stranger to me → non lo conosco affatto, per me è un perfetto sconosciuto
I'm no stranger to Rome → conosco Roma

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

strange

(streindʒ) adjective

1. not known, seen etc before; unfamiliar or foreign. What would you do if you found a strange man in your house?; Whenever you're in a strange country, you should take the opportunity of learning the language.

2. unusual, odd or queer. She had a strange look on her face; a strange noise.

ˈstrangely adverb

ˈstrangeness noun

ˈstranger noun

1. a person who is unknown to oneself. I've met her once before, so she's not a complete stranger (to me).

2. a visitor. I can't tell you where the post office is – I'm a stranger here myself.

strange to say/tell/relate

surprisingly. Strange to say, he did pass his exam after all.

strangely enough

it is strange (that). He lives next door, but strangely enough I rarely see him.

stranger

→ غَرِيب cizí člověk fremmed Fremder ξένος desconocido muukalainen inconnu stranac estraneo 知らない人 낯선 사람 vreemdeling fremmed nieznajomy desconhecido незнакомец främling คนแปลกหน้า yabancı người lạ 陌生人

References in classic literature ?

These he let feed about the premises, and then he said good-humouredly to Ulysses, "Stranger, are the suitors treating you any better now, or are they as insolent as ever?"

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STRANGER Whate'er I know thou too shalt know; the place Is all to great Poseidon consecrate.

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As he drew nigh this bridge he saw a tall stranger coming from the other side.

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Further away from camp than Jenssen and upon the opposite side another heard Meriem's screams--a stranger who was not even aware of the proximity of white men other than himself-- a hunter with a handful of sleek, black warriors.

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As soon as the sound of the Peace-cry of my departing Wife had died away, I began to approach the Stranger with the intention of taking a nearer view and of bidding him be seated: but his appearance struck me dumb and motionless with astonishment.

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"Look at that chap!" said Rosser in a low voice, his eyes fixed upon the stranger.

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At the time the Pequod was making good speed through the water; but as the broad-winged windward stranger shot nigh to her, the boastful sails all fell together as blank bladders that are burst, and all life fled from the smitten hull.

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"O here is my hand," the stranger reply'd, "I'll serve you with all my whole heart.

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Agatha asked a question, to which the stranger only replied by pronouncing, in a sweet accent, the name of Felix.

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There is also another court called at Athens the Court of Phreattae, which determines points relating to a murder committed by one who has run away, to decide whether he shall return; though such an affair happens but seldom, and in very large cities; the seventh, to determine causes wherein strangers are concerned, and this whether they are between stranger and stranger or between a stranger and a citizen.

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Wopsle and a stranger. Joe greeted me as usual with "Halloa, Pip, old chap!" and the moment he said that, the stranger turned his head and looked at me.

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He fixed his haughty eye upon the stranger, and perceived a man of from forty to forty-five years of age, with black and piercing eyes, pale complexion, a strongly marked nose, and a black and well-shaped mustache.