stranger

Stranger is a noun referring to a person whom one does not know or with whom one has no existing relationship. It may describe someone unfamiliar, or someone recently arrived in a place or social setting. The term derives from Old French estranger, from Latin extraneus meaning external or foreign.

In sociology, the concept of the stranger appears in the work of Georg Simmel, who described the stranger as a social type who is both near to a group and yet not fully part of it. The stranger can be seen as a bridge between communities, but may also be perceived as an outsider and subject to suspicion. In urban life, strangers contribute to social diversity while posing challenges to belonging and trust.

In arts and culture, The Stranger is a common title in literature, film, and music. The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus (1942) explores themes of alienation and existential meaning. Notable cinematic uses include the 1946 film The Stranger and other works that address outsiders, identity, and moral ambiguity.

In everyday usage, "stranger" denotes any person who is not known to a given individual. It is also used in safety education and social discourse to discuss interactions with unfamiliar people, including campaigns about stranger danger and the rights and responsibilities of both strangers and hosts in public spaces.