- Understanding the Word "Stranger"
The word "stranger" in English is a noun that refers to someone who is not known or familiar to you. For example, when you meet a person for the first time on the street and you have no prior knowledge of them, they are a stranger. It can also imply someone who is from a different place or has an unfamiliar background, like a stranger in a new town who stands out because they don't seem to belong to the local community.
- Synonyms of "Stranger" in English
- Outsider
- Definition: An "outsider" is someone who is not part of a particular group, community, or situation. They are on the periphery and not fully integrated. For example, if there's a club and someone who has never been a member or involved in its activities shows up, they would be considered an outsider. In a way similar to a stranger, an outsider is someone who lacks the familiarity and connection that the insiders of a group have. However, an outsider might not necessarily be completely unknown like a stranger could be. For instance, you might know of an outsider's existence but not have a personal relationship with them.
- Newcomer
- Definition: A "newcomer" specifically refers to someone who has recently arrived in a place or joined a group. They are new and not yet well-acquainted with the surroundings or the people. For example, in a school, a student who just transferred in is a newcomer. While a stranger can be anyone you don't know regardless of when or how they came into your vicinity, a newcomer emphasizes the recent aspect of their arrival. A newcomer will likely be a stranger to most people initially, but as they spend time in the new place, they may become less of a stranger.
- Alien
- Definition: In the context of referring to people, "alien" has a sense of being foreign or strange in a more extreme way. It can imply a person who is from a different country or culture and seems very unfamiliar or out of place. For example, if you see someone dressed in a very different traditional attire from another part of the world in your local area, you might initially think of them as an alien (although this word is used less commonly in a casual sense nowadays due to its other meanings related to extraterrestrial beings). An alien is like a stranger but with a stronger emphasis on the difference in origin or appearance.
- Unknown
- Definition: "Unknown" as a noun can be used to refer to a person who is not known. It's a more general term that simply indicates lack of knowledge about someone. For example, when police are investigating a crime and there's a suspect they haven't identified yet, they might refer to that person as the unknown. A stranger is by definition an unknown person in the sense that you have no personal acquaintance with them, but "unknown" is a broader term that can apply to any situation where there's a lack of information about a person, not just in the context of personal encounters.