afield

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈfēld 

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

Synonyms

• amiss
• astray
• awry
• wrong

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

After its creative and commercial success elevated auteur Mike White into the pantheon of prestige showrunners, Season 2 ventured further afield, both geographically (to Sicily) and away from its home base, with excursions across the Italian isle. —Alison Herman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025

Once again, a case that centers on a relatively simple legal question—whether MSG battered Oakley in his removal from a seat at a Knicks home game in 2017—has ballooned into legal controversies afield from NBA games. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2025

Corporate governance changes are usually far afield from my coverage area, but Gelsinger’s descension merits an exception. —Steven Aquino, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Further afield, European economies are also at risk from Trump’s tariff regime. —Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025

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

Kids Definition

afield

adverb

ə-ˈfēld 

1

: to, in, or on the field

2

: away from home

3

: out of a regular, planned, or proper course : astray