Afield

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /əˈfiːld/

Definitions

1. Beyond the familiar surroundings, often venturing into new or unknown areas on a journey
2. In a direction that diverges from the typical or expected route in exploration
3. Located a distance from one's home base or regular environment

Etymology: "Afield" is a plain compound: the prefix "a-" meaning "on" or "in," joined to "field." Its ancestor in Old English was "on felde," literally "in (the) field," so the word began as a phrase describing where someone was standing or working, out in the open country away from the farmstead or village. Over time the two words fused into one, and the Middle English forms "afeld" and "a-felde" show the process under way, with "on" gradually wearing down into the single prefix "a-." The sense has kept close to that original picture. Someone "far afield" is still figuratively out in the fields, beyond the familiar ground of home, work, or routine. The word was used this way long before it took on its figurative sense, so the modern meaning grew directly out of the literal one rather than departing from it.

Synonyms: away, abroad

Antonyms: home