multinational
Americannoun
-
multinationals
plural
adjective
-
of, relating to, or involving several nations.
-
noting or pertaining to multinationals.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Political Geography - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Economics
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A US jury has sided with multinational giant Bayer over three women's claims its Roundup weedkiller caused their cancer, the latest blow to plaintiffs in thousands of similar cases.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
The option of turning to large multinational oil companies quickly stalled.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Instead of alienating our allies, we should collaborate with them to ensure that multinational corporations aren’t playing us off each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Preparedness planning should extend beyond diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics to include operational readiness for multinational outbreak response," she said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
He brought together representatives from multinational drug companies, independent middlemen and distributors, nonprofit organizations—almost anyone who might have an impact on drug pricing.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
His vision for Africa and better grasp of the local markets over decades has helped him gain a competitive edge over foreign multinationals in fields like manufacturing and fossil fuels.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Separately, Citi said it is also now expanding its token services, which uses the bank’s own blockchain to enable multinationals to move their own money across the bank’s network instantly and around the clock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
GCCs are offshore innovation hubs of multinationals that perform business critical functions such as R&D, corporate strategy and artificial intelligence development among a plethora of other key jobs.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
A stronger dollar can hurt the overseas earnings of large U.S. multinationals, while also tightening financial conditions for companies and countries that borrow in dollars.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
These multinationals went global for markets and labor, spearheaded first by the expansion of the Dutch and English joint-stock companies and the Industrial Revolution.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
