stranger

[ streyn-jer ]
/ ˈstreɪn dʒər /

noun

a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance: He is a perfect stranger to me.
a newcomer in a place or locality: a stranger in town.
an outsider: They want no strangers in on the club meetings.
a person who is unacquainted with or unaccustomed to something (usually followed by to): He is no stranger to poverty.
a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest: Our town shows hospitality to strangers.
Law. one not privy or party to an act, proceeding, etc.

Origin of stranger

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French estrangier, equivalent to estrange strange + -ier -ier2

SYNONYMS FOR stranger

1, 5 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM stranger

stran·ger·like, adjective

Definition for stranger (2 of 3)

strange
[ streynj ]
/ streɪndʒ /

adjective, strang·er, strang·est.

adverb

in a strange manner.

Origin of strange

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French estrange < Latin extrāneus; see extraneous

SYNONYMS FOR strange

1 bizarre, singular, abnormal, anomalous. Strange, peculiar, odd, queer refer to that which is out of the ordinary. Strange implies that the thing or its cause is unknown or unexplained; it is unfamiliar and unusual: a strange expression. That which is peculiar mystifies, or exhibits qualities not shared by others: peculiar behavior. That which is odd is irregular or unconventional, and sometimes approaches the bizarre: an odd custom. Queer sometimes adds to odd the suggestion of something abnormal and eccentric: queer in the head.
6 aloof.

OTHER WORDS FROM strange

strange·ly, adverb un·strange, adjective un·strange·ly, adverb un·strange·ness, noun

Definition for stranger (3 of 3)

Stranger, The

noun

(French L'Étranger), a novel (1942) by Albert Camus.

Example sentences from the Web for stranger

British Dictionary definitions for stranger (1 of 2)

stranger
/ (ˈstreɪndʒə) /

noun

any person whom one does not know
a person who is new to a particular locality, from another region, town, etc
a guest or visitor
(foll by to) a person who is unfamiliar (with) or new (to) something he is no stranger to computers
law a person who is neither party nor privy to a transaction

British Dictionary definitions for stranger (2 of 2)

strange
/ (streɪndʒ) /

adjective

adverb

not standard in a strange manner

Derived forms of strange

strangely, adverb

Word Origin for strange

C13: from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus foreign; see extraneous