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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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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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.
“The service sector is being hit especially hard by the surge in the cost of living created by the war,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Global X India Active is also a solid actively managed choice.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Epstein paid tens of thousands of dollars for her to train as a pilot, emails between them show, which she apparently did with great enthusiasm, promoting herself on social media as "Global Girl."
From BBC • May 19, 2026
On Monday, strategists from Cboe Global Markets shared a chart with MarketWatch showing that investors have been aggressively piling into “out-of-the-money” call options.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Unfortunately, the colony losses from 2006 to 2020 were a precursor to a much larger crisis to come, which ultimately resulted in the Global Famine of 2100.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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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.