Meaning & use
foreign soil
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseformalliterary
the land of a country that is not your own, especially when you are there as a visitor, soldier, or migrant.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase, almost always after 'on': on foreign soil.
Patterns
- on foreign soil
The soldiers were buried on foreign soil, far from their families.
She felt nervous about giving her first speech on foreign soil.
Many students dream of studying on foreign soil for a year.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
a place or situation that feels unfamiliar and not like home.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often after 'on' or 'into'.
Patterns
- on foreign soil
- into foreign soil
Starting a new job in a different industry felt like walking on foreign soil.
He moved to a small town where every custom seemed to be foreign soil.
Common combinations
- on foreign soil
- The team won its first match on foreign soil.
- die on foreign soil
- Many soldiers died on foreign soil during the war.
- set foot on foreign soil
- She had never set foot on foreign soil before that trip.
- fight on foreign soil
- The army was sent to fight on foreign soil.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abroad
- More common and less formal; it means 'in or to another country' but does not emphasize the land itself.
- overseas
- Focuses on countries across a sea or ocean, while 'foreign soil' can mean any other country.
Opposites
Commonly confused: foreign soil or foreign ground?
foreign soil vs foreign ground
'Foreign ground' is not a standard phrase; use 'foreign soil' or simply 'abroad'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'foreign soil' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'on foreign soil', meaning in another country, so option B fits. Option A uses the wrong preposition; option C is literal but unnatural in this fixed phrase; option D treats it as a technical term, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “foreign soil”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.