service abroad
1
5.2
- noun
:
servicio en el extranjero
- After joining the navy, he spent three years in service abroad, helping provide humanitarian aid to various countries.
Examples
-
The second form of military internationalization is the contracting of former soldiers and police by private military firms (PMFs) for service abroad.
Academic text (2006) -
She's hoping to secure a health education job in Latin America and commit to two years of service abroad.
Blog text (4) -
Many of the Ismailis who left Tanzania during ujamaa, for example, were businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, and educators who sought greater rewards for their services abroad.
Academic text (1998) -
Her experience in service abroad included working on a ship that delivered medical supplies to remote island communities.
-
The sailors were proud of their service abroad, as they assisted in international operations and built lasting relationships with foreign crews.
Synonyms
2
7.2
Service on a navy ship while the ship is at sea
Work by military people on a ship while at sea
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'service' (military service) combined with 'abroad' (in/ to another country) yields 'military service in another country,' which a B1 learner who knows both words can infer. The construction follows a common and literal modifier pattern (noun + locative/adverbial), so there is no metaphorical shift or idiomaticity obscuring the sense.
Etymology
Service abroad comes from times when soldiers or sailors left home to do service abroad, literally doing their duty in other countries. So the phrase means 'military work in another country'.