between or among nations; involving two or more nations.
international trade.
of or relating to two or more nations or their citizens.
a matter of international concern.
pertaining to the relations between nations.
international law.
having members or activities in several nations.
an international organization.
transcending national boundaries or viewpoints.
an international benefit;
an international reputation.
(initial capital letter) any of several international socialist or communist organizations formed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a labor union having locals in two or more countries.
an organization, enterprise, or group, especially a major business concern, having branches, dealings, or members in several countries.
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.
of, concerning, or involving two or more nations or nationalities
established by, controlling, or legislating for several nations
an international court
international fishing rights
available for use by all nations
international waters
any of several international socialist organizations See Comintern First International Labour and Socialist International Second International Socialist International Trotskyist International Vienna Union
a member of any of these organizations
International is an adjective that describes something that involves two or more countries, like international laws that multiple countries obey, or an international flight from France to Japan. Break international into two halves to understand its meaning. The first half is the prefix inter-, which means “among,” or “between.” In the second half, you can see the word nation. Put them together and the word literally means “among or between nations.” Driving from the United States into Canada is an international road trip since you travel from on nation to another, and an international conference has guests from all over the world.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Northern Ireland international helped United to become the first English side to win the old European Cup, now known as the Champions League.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
Videos and posts circulating online show international fans reacting to oversized portions, large-format retail stores, and highway travel stops that feel closer to entertainment complexes than convenience stores.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
The legislation is a call for the U.S. and international community to empower the Tibetan community as it defends its identity and our collective freedom.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
The Dodgers are now an international brand, with star power from across the globe, including the most famous baseball player in the world in Shohei Ohtani.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026
Marina was such an international celebrity that her obituary and photograph even made front-page news in some American papers.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
