globalization

American  

[gloh-buh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌgloʊ bə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, globalisation

noun

1. the act of globalizing, or extending to other or all parts of the world.

   the globalization of manufacturing.

2. worldwide integration and development.

   Globablization has resulted in the loss of some individual cultural identities.

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globalization British  

/ ˌɡləʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the process enabling financial and investment markets to operate internationally, largely as a result of deregulation and improved communications

2. the emergence since the 1980s of a single world market dominated by multinational companies, leading to a diminishing capacity for national governments to control their economies

3. the process by which a company, etc, expands to operate internationally

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Etymology

Origin of globalization

First recorded in 1925–30; global ( def. ) + -ization ( def. )

Explanation

Globalization is the process of ideas, products, and people moving around the planet with greater ease and efficiency. Globalization takes advantage of cheaper labor in less developed nations but increases free trade between nations and the free flow of capital. Globalization has transcended its traditionally economic concept to be used in many different ways now. The globalization of Barbie began with the opening of a Barbie boutique in Beijing. Use globalization anytime a trend spreads beyond its expected boundaries, reaches beyond expected populations. "At your high school, girls started a trend of wearing hard hats to school every day. Your cousin in Austria mentions girls doing it there. You can joke that the trend has 'gone global.'"

Example Sentences

While the global economy has faced shocks and trade turmoil, globalization is not dead -- it is simply being "transformed," the International Monetary Fund's chief economist told AFP Friday in an exclusive interview.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

“During the previous decade, we experienced extraordinarily low inflation, near zero interest rates, relatively stable globalization, and abundant capital. So those conditions may have conditioned us to think that environment was normal,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

And even sadder to see globalization tossed aside like last year’s toy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

He personified the globalization that brought billions out of poverty.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

If you put The Lexus and the Olive Tree and this book together, the broad historical argument you end up with is that there have been three great eras of globalization.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman