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adv

afield

uh-FEELD
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Afield (adv) means Away from home or from a familiar starting point, often over a distance. Example: “The search widened as volunteers looked further afield.”

adv
1
Away from home or from a familiar starting point, often over a distance.
"There were Christians developing notable traditions somewhat away from the Mediterranean and outside the Roman empire, in places like Armenia, or even further afield, in India" — Philip F. Esler, The Early Christian World (2002)
"The search widened as volunteers looked further afield."
"She travelled far afield for the conference."
"My fellow passengers are a mixture of people returning from a day out in the capital, locals doing short hops, and a few (like me) heading farther afield." — Paul Bigland, My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet (2020)

How to use afield

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAway from where you started, often used with "far" or "further" to mean "at a distance."

Common pairings
far afield further afield
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Word forms

Comparative
more afield
Superlative
most afield
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The search widened as volunteers looked further _____.

Etymology

From Old English on felde, literally "in the field," combined with the "a-" prefix meaning "on/in."

Origin: Old English

Related words

Rhymes for afield

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Frequently asked questions

What does “afield” mean?
The word “afield” means away from home or from a familiar starting point, often over a distance. In plain terms, away from where you started, often used with "far" or "further" to mean "at a distance.".
How do you pronounce “afield”?
“Afield” is pronounced uh-FEELD (/əˈfiːld/ in IPA).
How do you use “afield” in a sentence?
Here is “afield” used in a sentence: “The search widened as volunteers looked further afield.”
What part of speech is “afield”?
“Afield” is an adverb.
Where does the word “afield” come from?
The word “afield” comes from Old English. From Old English on felde, literally "in the field," combined with the "a-" prefix meaning "on/in.".

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