extranjeras

Extranjeras is the feminine plural form of the Spanish noun and adjective extranjero, meaning foreigner. It designates women who are from outside the speaker’s country or community. When extranjeras is used as an adjective, it modifies feminine plural nouns (for example, mujeres extranjeras); when used as a noun, it refers to a group of foreign women. The corresponding masculine plural form is extranjeros, used for men or mixed groups.

In contemporary Spanish, extranjeras appears in a variety of contexts, including travel, migration, education, and media. The term is generally neutral, but tone and context can affect perceived politeness or prejudice. In policy or legal texts, the broader category extranjeros may be used as a gender-neutral or mixed-group term, with extranjeras specifically marking female foreigners or female migrants in discussions about women’s residency or rights.

Etymology: extranjeras derives from the adjective extranjero, which itself comes from Latin and is related to words meaning “outside” or “foreign.” The feminine form mirrors the gendered nature of Spanish grammar, where adjectives and nouns agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe or modify.

See also: extranjeros, inmigración, ciudadanía, xenofobia.