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

Sharp readers will recall that the USSR extended past Russia and Ukraine; this is a vision that is incomplete without looking afield to Estonia, Lithuania (both NATO members) and other former republics. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025

With the potential expansion of tariffs to broader regions of Southeast Asia, companies might need to look even further afield to places like India and North Africa, regions that are not traditionally as heavy in manufacturing infrastructure for Western markets, the panelists said. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 3 Mar. 2025

But the new offer from Trump is far afield of those plans and is unique in its wide-ranging nature. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2025

But this year’s list of at-risk sites goes much further afield: to the moon. —Zachary Small, New York Times, 15 Jan. 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

Rhymes for afield

• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• brownfield
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed
• cornfield
• downfield
• goldfield
• hayfield
• infield

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