# abroad

> English word · Adverb · IPA /əˈbɹɔːd/ · frequency rank #3,665

## Definitions
1. Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries.
2. At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space.
3. Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one's abode.
4. Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; moving without restriction.
5. Not on target; astray; in error; confused; dazed.
6. Played elsewhere than one's home grounds.

## Etymology
First attested in mid 13th century. From Middle English abrood (“broadly widely scattered”), from a- (“on, in”) + brood (“broad”). Equivalent to a- + broad.

## Easily confused with
- **abra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abra-vs-abroad)
- **abram** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abram-vs-abroad)
- **aboard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aboard-vs-abroad)

## Common misspellings (8)
`abbroad`, `aborad`, `abraod`, `abroadd`, `abroda`, `abrroad`, `arboad`, `baroad`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/abroad