global
Americanadjective
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pertaining to the whole world; worldwide; universal.
the dream of global peace.
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globular; globe-shaped.
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of, relating to, or using a terrestrial or celestial globe.
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(of a computer operation, linguistic rule, etc.) operating on a group of similar strings, commands, etc., in a single step.
adjective
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covering, influencing, or relating to the whole world
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comprehensive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of global
Explanation
When something is global, it's happening all over the world. It's easy to spot the connection between global and globe. When the volcano in Iceland erupted, it quickly became a global event. Sure, things were tough in Reykjavík, but the dust and ash caused airport shutdowns and schedule disruptions around the world. Michael Jackson was a star in the United States from the time he was a little boy, but after he broke up with his brothers and went solo in the 1980s, he became a global phenomenon. There was hardly a country on earth where Michael Jackson wasn't a star.
Vocabulary lists containing global
Common Core Grades 7–8, List 4
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Common Core Grades 9–10, List 4
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Common Core Grade 6, List 4
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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.
Duwai's vision for a plentiful marine habitat that would sustain his village of 147 people has now received global praise, with academics and charities seeking his insights.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
When it comes to the future direction of the global economy there is a bit of a tug of war going on.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
In some ways it is a miracle there has not been a global recession, or a debt crisis in a major emerging economy.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
U.S. refineries have boosted their diesel exports, but they are running near capacity and are unable to make up for more of the global shortfall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The financial markets paid a lot of people extremely well for narrow expertise and a few people, poorly, for the big, global views you needed to have if you were to allocate capital across markets.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
