transnational

American  

[trans-nash-uh-nl, tranz-, -nash-nl] / trænsˈnæʃ ə nl, trænz-, -ˈnæʃ nl /

adjective

1. going beyond national boundaries or interests.

   a transnational economy.

2. comprising persons, sponsors, etc., of different nationalities.

   a transnational company.

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noun

• transnationals
  plural

1. a company, organization, etc., representing two or more nationalities.

transnational British  

/ trænzˈnæʃənəl /

adjective

1. extending beyond the boundaries, interests, etc, of a single nation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• transnationalism
  noun
• transnationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• transnationals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transnational

First recorded in 1920–25; trans- + national

Explanation

A transnational company operates in more than one country. A transnational chain of coffee shops, for example, might have cafes in the United States, England, Spain, and China. Use the adjective transnational to describe companies, policies, languages, or anything else that exists in several nations at the same time. A transnational human rights law could affect every developed country in the world, for instance. Another way to say transnational is international or multinational. The definition of the Latin prefix trans, however, gives a clear clue to the word's meaning: "across, beyond, or to go beyond."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transnational transnationals

"Global health, by definition, is transnational, crosses borders, does not concern just one country. Global health problems require global approaches, and no country can go it alone."

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

He specialized in identifying and investigating sophisticated white collar crimes ranging from art forgery and insider trading to transnational fraud organizations and crimes involving crypto currency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

“It was well known that Mexico’s powerful transnational criminal cartels had compromised many government officials,” the ex-ambassador wrote in “Borderlands: My Fight For an Inclusive America,” scheduled for release next month by BenBella Books.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Orduna denounced giving water -- a "resource that doesn't exist" in San Juan -- to transnational organizations rather than saving it for vital uses.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

“Other attacks on American soil were by nations; this is the first transnational terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.”

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Research into how South African food companies, particularly large transnationals, go about shaping public health policy in their favour found 107 examples of food industry practices designed to influence public health policy.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2024

There were also “spacemen,” Chinese transnationals with their wives and children who stayed in Monterey Park while shuttling back and forth between China and the U.S.,

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2023

From the mid-80s on, a number of leading dairy transnationals such as Fonterra, Nestlé, Danone and Arla made major investments in China to grow their brands there.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 29, 2019

Another, obviously aimed at the international news agencies, recommends "effective legal measures designed to circumscribe the action of transnationals by requiring them to comply with specific criteria and conditions defined by national development policies."

From Time Magazine Archive

They're transnationals, writers for whom displacement and dual cultural citizenship aren't a temporary political accident but the status quo.

From Time Magazine Archive