international

[in-ter-nash-uh-nl, -nash-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

noun

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

/ 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

noun

1. sport

   1. a contest between two national teams

   2. a member of these teams

International

²

/ 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

International

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of International¹

First recorded in 1770–80; inter- + national

Example Sentences

Perhaps these qualities also prepared her to weather the slings and arrows of international NGO leadership and public speaking.

From Salon

She became an international ambassador for chimps and conservation in 1986 when she saw a film about the mistreatment of laboratory chimps.

From Los Angeles Times

It said the rescuers had been performing humanitarian work, wearing uniforms, and driving marked vehicles, and that the attack constituted a flagrant violation of international law.

From BBC

When Fox News figures casually invoke mass violence, whether through forced lethal injections or bombing international institutions, it’s not just reckless rhetoric.

From Salon

Higher tariffs have sparked rising prices in construction materials and equipment, while the crackdown on undocumented workers has thinned and spooked much of the international workforce the industry depends on.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• foreign 
• global 
• universal