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

Prosecutors say Lawrence Bishnoi used his time in prison to turn his Indian gang into a transnational syndicate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

"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

The idea began as a technical experiment: a live, simultaneous, transnational television broadcast.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 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

“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

"We have not given up on the transnationals," says UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, who claims that "fear, intimidation and threats hold workers back" from inviting unions into transplant factories.

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