multinational
Americannoun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or involving several nations.
-
noting or pertaining to multinationals.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of multinational
Explanation
When something is described as multinational, it involves more than two countries. A multinational corporation buys and sells in several countries, and it may also have offices in these countries. A multinational conflict is a war that involves the governments of three or more countries. Multinational peacekeepers might be from an organization like the United Nations (which could also be described as a multinational organization), working in many countries toward a peaceful agreement between them. The adjective multinational uses the prefix multi-, or "many," adding it to national, from the Latin nationem, "birth, kind, or tribe."
Vocabulary lists containing multinational
Political Geography - Middle School
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Political Geography - High School
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Economics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Berlin has yet to decide whether it will seek to join another multinational aircraft project already under way, the German official said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The Clearing House expects large multinational corporations to make up a lot of the initial demand for the tokenized deposit network.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
“I don’t really see it as a corporation,” he said of FIFA, which has about $6.14 billion in total assets and $2.95 billion in cash reserves, enough to qualify as a pretty significant multinational corporation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
"We are prepared to take on one of the biggest multinational corporations in the world," said Attorney-General Michelle Rowland.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
He brought together representatives from multinational drug companies, independent middlemen and distributors, nonprofit organizations—almost anyone who might have an impact on drug pricing.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
