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.
A low starting salary, global pandemic, unaffordable housing market, graduate school and two kids didn’t stop Blake Edwards and his wife from becoming millionaires by their early 30s.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Of the 76 global cases the FDA identified, seven involved the syndrome, and three of those patients died.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Oil prices were on track for another weekly gain as the global energy situation becomes more and more precarious.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
"Goonhilly will provide the backbone for this network, scales our global ground presence, and will bring a strategic core competency to the Intuitive Machines team," said Steve Altemus, CEO of IM.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
As with the spy Penkovsky before him, the information Gordievsky passed to his handlers, experts believe, may well have defused a global crisis and averted nuclear war.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
