global economy

Cultural  

1. The international spread of capitalism, especially in recent decades, across national boundaries and with minimal restrictions by governments. The global economy has become hotly controversial. Critics allege that its props, free markets and free trade, take jobs away from well-paid workers in the wealthy nations while creating sweatshops in the poor ones. Its supporters insist that the free movement of capital stimulates investment in poor nations and creates jobs in them. The process is also called globalization.

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Example Sentences

A full reopening of the Persian Gulf would remove a substantial overhang on the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

To sustain the global economy, we must ensure that the “sound dues” of the 21st century—instability, piracy, and conflict—aren’t the price of doing business.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Investors shouldn’t draw their lessons from the relatively free hand government allowed today’s internet giants, from Google and Facebook to Amazon and Netflix, which began as startups and grew into titans of the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Riley is criticizing the global economy but setting this caper in the fashion world keeps the style interesting.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

For entry-level jobs into the global economy, these are about as good as it gets.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman