afield

adverb or adjective

1
: to, in, or on the field
was weak at bat but strong afield
2
: away from home : abroad
3
: out of the way : astray
irrelevant remarks that carried us far afield

Examples of afield in a Sentence

how did we get so far afield from the subject we intended to discuss?
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.
Fancy checking out the stars of the Three Leaps of the Gazelle for yourself or exploring galaxies even further afield? Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Quite a few are located farther afield, in more rural areas, meaning more travel time is necessary to get there. Kara Newman, AFAR Media, 19 Apr. 2025 Farther afield, Uganda continues to respond to an Ebola outbreak and Mpox has been seen in 127 countries. Seth Berkley, Time, 27 Mar. 2025 The Houthis may even use the U.S. military strikes, analysts say, to bolster their position in Yemen and farther afield as other Iranian proxies, like the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, have suffered heavy losses at the hands of Israel. Peter Eavis, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for afield

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afelde, going back to Old English on felda, on felde, from on on entry 1 + felda, felde, dative of feld field entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afield was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Afield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afield. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

afield

adverb
1
: to, in, or on the field
2
: away from home
3
: out of a regular, planned, or proper course : astray
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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