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

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

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

Etymology

Origin of international

First recorded in 1770–80; inter- + national

Example Sentences

The Cirebon-1 plant was supposed to be in its final years, with its closure set for early 2035, as part of Indonesia's plans to wean itself from polluting coal with international support.

From Barron's

At its heart, the Olympics are an international festival where athletes grow as competitors and as people.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though the neutral ground of Geneva is well used to hosting international negotiations on the world's most pressing topics, two sets of such talks on the same day is an exceptional sight.

From Barron's

The oil deprivation in Cuba has sparked concern from international bodies, including the United Nations, which warned that the holdout would strain an already-fragile fuel situation and create a humanitarian crisis in the country.

From Los Angeles Times

The vessels were intercepted on Feb. 6 about 100 nautical miles northwest of Mumbai and were part of an “international oil-smuggling racket,” the Coast Guard said in an Instagram post.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• foreign
• global
• universal