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• international
  international

  adjective

  between or among nations; involving two or more nations.
• International
  International

  noun

  any of several international socialist organizations See Comintern First International Labour and Socialist International Second International Socialist International Trotskyist International Vienna Union

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international

American  

[in-ter-nash-uh-nl, -nash-nl] / ˌɪn tərˈnæʃ ə nl, -ˈnæʃ nl /

adjective

1. 

   between or among nations; involving two or more nations.

   international trade.

2. of or relating to two or more nations or their citizens.

   a matter of international concern.

3. pertaining to the relations between nations.

   international law.

4. having members or activities in several nations.

   an international organization.

5. transcending national boundaries or viewpoints.

   an international benefit;

   an international reputation.

   Synonyms:

   cosmopolitan, worldwide

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noun

• internationals
  plural

1. (initial capital letter) any of several international socialist or communist organizations formed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a labor union having locals in two or more countries.

3. an organization, enterprise, or group, especially a major business concern, having branches, dealings, or members in several countries.

4. an employee, especially an executive, assigned to work in a foreign country or countries by a business or organization that has branches or dealings in several countries.

international ¹ British  

/ ˌɪntəˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, concerning, or involving two or more nations or nationalities

2. established by, controlling, or legislating for several nations

   an international court

   international fishing rights

3. available for use by all nations

   international waters

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noun

1. sport

   1. a contest between two national teams

   2. a member of these teams

International ² British  

/ ˌɪntəˈnæʃənəl /

noun

1. any of several international socialist organizations See Comintern First International Labour and Socialist International Second International Socialist International Trotskyist International Vienna Union

2. a member of any of these organizations

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International Cultural  

1. An international organization of workers founded by Karl Marx (see also Marx) in the 1860s. Weakened by disputes, it was dissolved in 1876, but it was succeeded by three later Internationals, which sought to spread communism throughout the world. The most effective of these was the Third International, formed by the Soviet Union in 1919 and dissolved in 1943 by Joseph Stalin.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• internationality
  noun
• noninternational
  adjective
• pseudointernational
  adjective
• quasi-international
  adjective
• uninternational
  adjective
• internationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• internationals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of international

First recorded in 1770–80; inter- + national

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Explanation

International is an adjective that describes something that involves two or more countries, like international laws that multiple countries obey, or an international flight from France to Japan. Break international into two halves to understand its meaning. The first half is the prefix inter-, which means “among,” or “between.” In the second half, you can see the word nation. Put them together and the word literally means “among or between nations.” Driving from the United States into Canada is an international road trip since you travel from on nation to another, and an international conference has guests from all over the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

international International internationals

"They are in a desperate situation. Even those that hadn't previously looked for international expansion are now suddenly active in India," she told the BBC.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

A loss of confidence among international investors could therefore put additional pressure on borrowing costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

"The direction of Brazilian environmental policy carries a lot of weight in international negotiations," a French diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity, highlighting Brazil's role in coalitions among developing nations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

For starters, the 46-year-old billionaire was confined to house arrest on his 300-acre Oxfordshire estate in England, fighting off a Swiss extradition request tied to an international money-laundering probe.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

While this preparation often happens at a local level, the international Volcano Disaster Assistance Program was created as a direct result of the Mount St. Helens eruption.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Both are believed to have travelled through Uganda's Entebbe International Airport earlier this month.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

"These young people do not just feel like they do not have a place in politics, they feel they are not being heard at all," said Geoffrey Pleyers, president of the International Sociological Association.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Her entrance “marks a pivot point” in the race, said Daniel Forti, head of U.N. affairs at International Crisis Group, noting she is well-known around the U.N.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Freight costs have soared in recent weeks, making it far more expensive to move crude and oil products around the world, according to data compiled by the International Energy Agency.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

“We have begun our descent into Miami International Airport. Flight attendants, prepare for landing.”

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

In T20 internationals, Brook averages 36.21 at a strike-rate of 164.92.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

That led to several influential players being held back, although they did give first appearances of the season to Wales and Lions internationals Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams after injury.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

She ranks inside the top three for most goals scored by European players in internationals and has a minutes-per-goal ratio of 81.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Provence, who previously have been represented by Wales internationals George North and Tomas Francis, have begun their season and search for promotion to the Top 14 well, winning their first five league games.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Many of the internationals understand the trauma of trying to get an American visa and that is a good place to start a friendship.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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