Such words are difficult to use in a sentence because many times, the meaning of the sentence is still the same even by interchanging the word with another. Two such confusing words are Abroad and Overseas.
Abroad vs Overseas
The main difference between Abroad and Overseas is that Abroad is an adverb that is used for formal and professional purposes whereas Overseas is an adjective that is not preferred for professional use. In most cases, these two terms have the same meaning but the use of these words differ.
Abroad is defined as the country which is not one own’s residential country. For example, for an Indian citizen, all other countries except India are abroad countries.
Overseas is referred to traveling to the countries for which one needs to go beyond the ocean or sea. For example, for an Indian citizen to reach Canada, he or she needs to travel beyond the sea.
Comparison Table Between Abroad and Overseas
| Parameters of Comparison | Abroad | Overseas |
| Definition | All other countries other an one’s own country. | All countries to which one has to travel beyond the sea. |
| Part of Speech | Adverb. | Adjective. |
| Writing | Generally used in formal writing. | Generally used in informal writing. |
| Traveling to countries | Air transport and either one of land or water transport. | Only by air or water transport. |
| Border Sharing | May or may not share a border. | Do not share a border. |
What is Abroad?
Abroad is defined as the country which is not one own’s residential country. The word Abroad is an adverb, one of the eight parts of speech.
Even though abroad can also be used informally, but in formal writing, abroad is preferred over overseas. However, the word overseas is not always used for abroad countries as it may contradict the fact.
If a country is overseas, then only water transport is possible. On the other hand, if a country is not overseas but is still abroad, land transport is an option if the country abroad allows it.
What is Overseas?
Overseas is referred to traveling to the countries for which one needs to go beyond the ocean or sea. The word Overseas is an adjective, one of the eight parts of speech.
Since overseas is an adjective, it is not preferred in formal writing such as formal letters, emails, etc. Adjectives are mostly considered to weaken the writer’s point and hence, they are generally avoided if not necessary.
A country that is overseas to one’s own country will always be an abroad country as well. For example, for an Indian citizen, traveling to the United States would be an overseas journey, but the United States is also an abroad country to India.
In most cases, the word overseas is used over abroad whenever we talk about traveling abroad by crossing the ocean or sea.
Main Differences Between Abroad and Overseas
- Some abroad countries can share a border with one’s own country whereas countries that are overseas don’t.
- The word abroad is generally preferred in formal writing over the word overseas.
Conclusion
Words in the English language can be tricky to understand at times. Words that have the same meaning in the English language are called Synonyms.
Abroad was a term that originated to define the boundaries between different countries and Overseas originated from abroad itself and it referred to some particular abroad countries that were beyond the ocean or sea.
The country which is abroad but not overseas cannot be replaced by the word overseas as it will completely contradict the meaning of the statement. Hence, Abroad and Overseas is indeed a tricky pair of synonyms.
References
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287504265516
- https://search.proquest.com/openview/6e10d9f81c751500741205310dde52cb/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1819054
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