Afield Meaning
/əˈfiːld/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
advAway (from the home or starting point, physical or conceptual). (Often preceded by far, farther, or further.)
advOn the field.
Sentence Examples
Don't go too far afield.
Naturally, Europe and its many loops were well-defined, but farther afield things got sketchier.
We've already run so far afield of our original purpose.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The explorers traveled far ____ in search of rare plants.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The search team traveled far ____ to find the missing hiker in the woods.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English afeld, a-felde, o felde, on felde, from Old English on felde (“afield”, literally “in (the) field”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + field.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Whether things could have been different is an open question, and one that would take us far afield from the focus of this book."
— 1999, Jacob S. Hacker, The Road to Nowhere: The Genesis of President Clinton's Plan for Healthy Security, →ISBN, page 118:
"There were Christians developing notable traditions somewhat away from the Mediterranean and outside the Roman empire, in places like Armenia, or even further afield, in India"
— 2002, Philip F. Esler, The Early Christian World, →ISBN, page 3:
"My fellow passengers are a mixture of people returning from a day out in the capital, locals doing short hops, and a few (like me) heading farther afield."
— 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:
"The merchant was much interested in my journey, and thought it dangerous to sleep afield."
— 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, page 116:
"Meanwhile, witch Tituba, Tonight you sleep afield, molest not this house. Return here early for your judgement."
— 2000, Robert Manns, Night of the Frogs & Sautee and Nacoochee, →ISBN, page 27:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The explorers traveled far ____ in search of rare plants.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The search team traveled far ____ to find the missing hiker in the woods.