near abroad

See also: near-abroad

English

Alternative forms

• near-abroad

Etymology

Calque of Russian ближнее зарубе́жье (bližneje zarubéžʹje), from ближний (bližnij, “near”) and зарубе́жье (zarubéžʹje, “abroad”).

Noun

the near abroad (plural not attested)

1. The other countries and political regions which are in the vicinity of a country or political region.
   • 2004 December 6, Paul Quinn-Judge, Yuri Zarakhovich, “The Orange Revolution”, in Time, page 20:

     In his first term, George W. Bush was willing to give Putin a free hand in what Russia calls the near abroad, the states that spun off from the broken Soviet Union.

   • 2011 May 18, Timothy Garton Ash, “Obama can now define the third great project of Euro-Atlantic partnership”, in The Guardian, retrieved 9 January 2013:

     North Africa and the Middle East are, after all, Europe's near-abroad.

   • 2013 January 5, “Japanese foreign policy: Down-turn Abe”, in The Economist, retrieved 9 January 2013:

     Japan has island disputes with all three of its neighbours, Russia, South Korea and China, leaving it diplomatically isolated in its near-abroad.

Usage notes

• Originally used to refer to the newly-established independent republics surrounding Russia after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, but now used to refer to other regions of the globe as well.

Antonyms

• far abroad

Translations

the other countries and political regions which are in the vicinity of a country or political region

• Belarusian: блі́жняе заме́жжа n (blížnjaje zamjéžža)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 近海外 (jìn hǎiwài)

• Dutch: nabije buitenland n
• French: étranger proche m
• Georgian: ახლო საზღვარგარეთი (axlo sazɣvargareti)
• German: Nahes Ausland n
• Russian: ближний зарубе́жье n (bližnij zarubéžʹje)
• Ukrainian: бли́жнє зарубі́жжя n (blýžnje zarubížžja)

References

• “near abroad”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.