multinational
Americannoun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or involving several nations.
-
noting or pertaining to multinationals.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of multinational
Explanation
When something is described as multinational, it involves more than two countries. A multinational corporation buys and sells in several countries, and it may also have offices in these countries. A multinational conflict is a war that involves the governments of three or more countries. Multinational peacekeepers might be from an organization like the United Nations (which could also be described as a multinational organization), working in many countries toward a peaceful agreement between them. The adjective multinational uses the prefix multi-, or "many," adding it to national, from the Latin nationem, "birth, kind, or tribe."
Vocabulary lists containing multinational
Political Geography - Middle School
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Political Geography - High School
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Economics
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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.
The Clearing House expects large multinational corporations to make up a lot of the initial demand for the tokenized deposit network.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The British multinational, De Beers, which specialises in the mining and marketing of diamonds, is eager to change the narrative.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
“I don’t really see it as a corporation,” he said of FIFA, which has about $6.14 billion in total assets and $2.95 billion in cash reserves, enough to qualify as a pretty significant multinational corporation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Mercer's "emerging markets" fund invested in Indian multinational Reliance Industries, according to holdings data from December 2025.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
They are employees of multinational industry: pharmaceutical salespeople, electronic engineers, information technology managers, accountants, data analysts, plant managers, regional vice presidents, biotechnologists, bankers, manufacturers’ representatives, and franchise chain managers.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
