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• international
  international

  adjective

  between or among nations; involving two or more nations.
• International
  International

  noun

  any of several international socialist organizations See Comintern First International Labour and Socialist International Second International Socialist International Trotskyist International Vienna Union

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international

American  

[in-ter-nash-uh-nl, -nash-nl] / ˌɪn tərˈnæʃ ə nl, -ˈnæʃ nl /

adjective

1. 

   between or among nations; involving two or more nations.

   international trade.

2. of or relating to two or more nations or their citizens.

   a matter of international concern.

3. pertaining to the relations between nations.

   international law.

4. having members or activities in several nations.

   an international organization.

5. transcending national boundaries or viewpoints.

   an international benefit;

   an international reputation.

   Synonyms:

   cosmopolitan, worldwide

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noun

• internationals
  plural

1. (initial capital letter) any of several international socialist or communist organizations formed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a labor union having locals in two or more countries.

3. an organization, enterprise, or group, especially a major business concern, having branches, dealings, or members in several countries.

4. an employee, especially an executive, assigned to work in a foreign country or countries by a business or organization that has branches or dealings in several countries.

international ¹ British  

/ ˌɪntəˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, concerning, or involving two or more nations or nationalities

2. established by, controlling, or legislating for several nations

   an international court

   international fishing rights

3. available for use by all nations

   international waters

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noun

1. sport

   1. a contest between two national teams

   2. a member of these teams

International ² British  

/ ˌɪntəˈnæʃənəl /

noun

1. any of several international socialist organizations See Comintern First International Labour and Socialist International Second International Socialist International Trotskyist International Vienna Union

2. a member of any of these organizations

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International Cultural  

1. An international organization of workers founded by Karl Marx (see also Marx) in the 1860s. Weakened by disputes, it was dissolved in 1876, but it was succeeded by three later Internationals, which sought to spread communism throughout the world. The most effective of these was the Third International, formed by the Soviet Union in 1919 and dissolved in 1943 by Joseph Stalin.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• internationality
  noun
• noninternational
  adjective
• pseudointernational
  adjective
• quasi-international
  adjective
• uninternational
  adjective
• internationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• internationals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of international

First recorded in 1770–80; inter- + national

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Explanation

International is an adjective that describes something that involves two or more countries, like international laws that multiple countries obey, or an international flight from France to Japan. Break international into two halves to understand its meaning. The first half is the prefix inter-, which means “among,” or “between.” In the second half, you can see the word nation. Put them together and the word literally means “among or between nations.” Driving from the United States into Canada is an international road trip since you travel from on nation to another, and an international conference has guests from all over the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

international International internationals

Observed every year on November 16, the international event is intended to draw attention to the Mediterranean diet's health benefits as well as its cultural traditions and environmental significance.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

"We've been together for three months if you take away pre-season and international breaks," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Johan Manzambi: Switzerland international displayed sparks of his undoubted talent and could have had a penalty in the first half.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

That said, there is one team in the NFL that can say for sure it took the wrong approach to international travel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Years of false leads, years of international intrigue: it was all over.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

That collaboration helped support the establishment of the International Day of the Mediterranean Diet through the United Nations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

The International Parking Community said "any changes must remain fair to motorists while staying workable"

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Police say they are searching for other casualties in the bush but the authorities were accused by Amnesty International of failing to protect rural communities.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Los Javis tied for best director honors in Cannes, and the Spanish-language film won the top audience prizes in San Sebastian and at the Toronto International Film Festival, a reliable bellwether for Academy Awards success.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

“We have begun our descent into Miami International Airport. Flight attendants, prepare for landing.”

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Brook is learning to play List A cricket in one-day internationals.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Across formats, Brook is only the second man to register a century in internationals T20s, a double hundred in ODIs and a triple century in Tests, following West Indies' great Chris Gayle.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Warwickshire's Bethell has not played since suffering a knee injury in July but is back as part of a near-full-strength squad for three one-day internationals.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The tour as a whole – including three T20s and three one-day internationals in April and May of next year – is not under threat, though exact dates and venues are still to be confirmed.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Many of the internationals understand the trauma of trying to get an American visa and that is a good place to start a friendship.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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