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
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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.
See Examples For:
Ahold Delhaize, a Netherlands-based multinational, said an “IT incident” had affected dozens of its Delhaize-branded supermarkets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Some 2,800 troops from 10 European countries will this month stage in Poland the first exercise of a new multinational force in support of Ukraine, London and Paris said on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
The multinational force has struggled to penetrate areas where gangs hold sway.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
The option of turning to large multinational oil companies quickly stalled.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Our clients were multinational corporations, bureaus of foreign governments, individuals of resource and connection.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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
Unlike large multinationals, smaller companies typically have limited access to capital markets and rely on short-term or floating-rate loans that track rates set by the Federal Reserve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The tax applies to tech multinationals like Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon, specifically targeting firms with global digital revenues exceeding £500 million and UK revenues over £25 million.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 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
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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.
