overseas

1 of 2

adverb

over·​seas ˌō-vər-ˈsēz How to pronounce overseas (audio)
Synonyms of overseasnext
: beyond or across the sea
lived overseas for a time

overseas

2 of 2

adjective

over·​seas ˈō-vər-ˌsēz How to pronounce overseas (audio)
1
: of or relating to movement, transport, or communication over the sea
an overseas liner
2
: situated, originating in, or relating to lands beyond the sea
overseas installations
overseas immigrants

Examples of overseas in a Sentence

Adverb The troops were sent overseas.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Sun Sentinel There have also been instances of people targeting Tesla cropping up throughout the country and overseas, most recently recently with police in Austin, Texas, investigating incendiary devices found at a dealership on Monday. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025 Strong is the daughter of two basketball players – Feaster, who scored over 2,000 points at Harvard and played for 10 years in the WNBA and overseas, and Danny Strong, who played at NC State and professionally in Europe. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Western nations' freezing of $300 billion in Russian central bank fiat currency assets exposed the vulnerability of holding reserves in foreign currencies or overseas institutions. — Garth Friesen, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025 Finally, the medication for the top-heavy market – rotation into value and overseas stocks – had the side effect of swamping the index due to the enormous size of stocks being sold versus those being bought. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overseas

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1533, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overseas was in 1533

Phrases Containing overseas

Rhymes for overseas

See All Rhymes for overseas

Browse Nearby Words

overseamer
overseas
overseas cap
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overseas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overseas. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

overseas

adverb or adjective
over·​seas
-ˈsēz,
-ˌsēz
: beyond or across the sea

More from Merriam-Webster on overseas

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overseas

Nglish: Translation of overseas for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All