multinational
Americannoun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or involving several nations.
-
noting or pertaining to multinationals.
adjective
noun
Other Word 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.
Some recruits help Chinese companies expand to other countries, using their knowledge of languages and local work cultures, said Zak Dychtwald, who runs Bridgeworks Global, a Shanghai-based consulting firm that works with multinational companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The BMS-Hengrui deal is more evidence of multinational pharma companies’ preference for Chinese drug assets, given their cost efficiency and innovativeness, said Cui Cui, Jefferies’s head of Asia healthcare research.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
"With our allies, this multinational mission will be defensive, independent, and credible," Healey said in a statement.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Under the change, multinational companies would no longer be allowed to shield the income of their foreign subsidiaries from state taxes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
The blind was ingenious in design and interest had already been expressed in the manufacturing rights—mostly by military representatives—but Artemis had resolved to sell the patent to a sporting goods multinational.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
